THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

PAUL KELLEWAY (1940-2001)

Copyright Valerie Martin 2002

Paul Kelleway was born in 1940.  He was apprenticed to the former top jockey Harry Wragg at Abingdon Place stables, Newmarket.  Wragg had the nickname of the 'Head Waiter' as a jockey because he had the knack of holding horses up and then bringing them through at the end of a race to win on the line.

Paul was a tough and fearless rider and rode his first winner in 1955 but because of problems keeping his weight down, decided to switch to National Hunt racing.

He came to Captain Ryan Price in Findon as second jockey to stable jockey Fred Winter.  They were later joined by Josh Gifford. 

In 1959, the Captain had 25 lads at his stable.   One who started that year was Roy Hicks who was a younger brother of Tommy Steele of rock 'n' roll fame.

Josh Gifford and Captain Ryan Price at The Gun Inn


What a Myth started out in the 1960/61 racing season as a rather backward gelding. He went into a Maiden Hurdle at nearby Plumpton and on somewhat heavy going, he swept passed the post as the winner.

Captain Ryan Price had originally bought the horse as an unbroken three-year-old for a mere £400. He now passed him on to a new owner, Lady Lucy Weir for a handsome £2,000. Lucy promptly gave a half share in the horse to Sir Archibald James and this partnership was destined to win the Cheltenham Gold Cup and £8,129. in stakes. The Captain should have kept What A Myth methinks.

Not very surprisingly, Lucy became one of the Captain's most loyal owners and followed him through thick and thin.

What a Myth had a partnership with Paul Kellelway and they added the Rhymney Breweries Chase and the Mildmay Memorial Chase to their credit.

Paul's biggest wins for the Captain came with What A Myth winning the Mildmay Memorial chase followed by the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1966. 

What a Myth, who had always been a game and willing horse, later began to loose his form.  Ryan Price decided in his wisdom to sweeten up the horse with a spell of hunting in Leicestershire.  This also enabled the horse to qualify to run in Hunter chases and he ran in two of these.  The opposition was poor and the horse won the two races in effortless style.  With the horse's enthusiasm restored, What A Myth was entered for the The Cheltenham Gold Cup in 1969.  Ridden by Paul, the horse won the race in great form at the age of 12 and was and remains the oldest horse to win the race.

At the end of his days, What a Myth lived out his retirement (in all but the severest weather) roaming the Findon Downs, along with other famous racehorses such as Hill House, Le Vermontois, Persian Lancer, Major Rose and Charlie Worcester.

I visited Dorothy Price at her home when she lived in Steep Lane..... and I am not absolutely sure of this...... but I am almost 100% certain that there was a painting of What of Myth on her wall amongst other famous winners.  It just may have been this painting.....

This painting by Maurice Tulloch depicts What a Myth with Paul Kelleway up.

 

Paul's most successful year was the 1970/71 season when he rode 46 winners.

Fred Winter turned to training and also had a retainer on Paul's services as a jockey.  At the end of 1971/72 Paul took the decision to ride freelance.  He won the Scottish Grand National in consecutive years 1975/6 on Barona for Roddy Armytage.

Paul rode winners in nineteen seasons over the jumps and retired from the saddle at the end of the 1976/77 season and started training from Shalfleet in the Bury Road, Newmarket, only a short distance from where he had started as an apprentice.  From then on he became a successful trainer and was always the first trainer to have his string of horses out on the gallops in the morning.  Paul's other claim to fame was that ex-National Hunt champion jockey Richard Dunwoody started out as an apprentice with Paul.

He retired from training about  a couple of year's ago and retired to Spain where I believe he died last year.  His children became involved in racing.  His daughter, Gaye, was a successful jockey before becoming a trainer herself.

A race at Lingfield is run each July to commemorate him.  His daughter Gaye trains on the racecourse.

Continue if you would like to read about Paul Kelleway's youngest daughter, Sarah, in Findon Endurance — in the Kelleway Tradition — 2004.

 

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created exclusively for documenting life in Findon.

 

E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com