Joe Mercer (jockey)
| Joe Mercer OBE |
|
|---|---|
| Occupation | Jockey |
| Born |
25 October 1934 Bradford, Yorkshire, England |
| Career wins | 2,810 in Britain |
| Major racing wins | |
|
British Classic Race wins: Epsom Oaks (1953) St. Leger Stakes (1965, 1974, 1980, 1981) 2,000 Guineas Stakes (1971) 1,000 Guineas Stakes (1974, 1979) Irish Classic Race wins: Irish 2,000 Guineas (1973) Irish Derby (1959) Irish St Leger (1965) French Classic Race wins: Prix de Diane (1974) |
|
| Racing awards | |
|
British flat racing Champion Apprentice (1952, 1953) British flat racing Champion Jockey (1979) |
|
| Honours | |
| OBE | |
| Significant horses | |
| Brigadier Gerard, Bustino, Highclere, Kris, Le Moss | |
Joseph "Joe" Mercer, OBE (born 25 October 1934) is a retired English thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active as a jockey from 1947 to 1985 and rode a total of 2,810 winners in Britain, a figure exceeded only by Sir Gordon Richards, Lester Piggott, and Doug Smith at the time of his retirement, and subsequently only bettered by Pat Eddery (his niece's ex-husband), Willie Carson and Frankie Dettori.
He was apprenticed to trainer Frederick Sneyd and won his first British Classic race while still an apprentice on Ambiguity in the 1953 Epsom Oaks. He was British flat racing Champion Apprentice twice, in 1952 and 1953.
He subsequently worked as stable jockey for Jack Colling, Dick Hern, Henry Cecil and Peter Walwyn. During his spell at Cecil's yard he won his only British flat racing Champion Jockey's title in 1979. The most successful horse Mercer rode during his career was Brigadier Gerard, winner of 17 of his 18 races between 1970 and 1972. He retired in November 1985 and was successful in his final ride as a jockey, winning the 1985 November Handicap on Bold Rex.
Mercer's nickname was "Smokin' Joe". Shortly after his retirement, he was the subject of a biography by Richard Baerlein: Joe Mercer The Pictorial Biography Queen Ann Press (1987). On retiring as a jockey, Mercer worked initially as a jockey's agent before accepting a job as racing manager for Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Gainsborough racing operation in 1987. He retired in January 2006.
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