Charlie Smirke, in the colours of HH Aga Khan (Gallaher's cigarette card, 1936)
Occupation
Jockey
Born
23 September 1906 Lambeth, England, United Kingdom
Died
30 December 1993(1993-12-30) (aged 87)
Major racing wins
British Classic Race wins: 2,000 Guineas (2) 1,000 Guineas (1) Epsom Oaks (0) Epsom Derby (4) St. Leger Stakes (4)
Racing awards
British flat racing Champion Apprentice (1925, 1926)
Significant horses
Windsor Lad, Bahram, Mahmoud, The Bug, My Babu, Tulyar, Never Say Die, Hard Ridden
Charles James William Smirke (1906–1993), was a British flat-race jockey. In a career that lasted from 1920 until 1959, he rode the winners of eleven British Classic Races. As a rider, he was known for his skill, strength and tactical intelligence,[1] together with his self-confident and outspoken personality. Although he never won the Championship, he was regarded as one of the best jockeys of his era.[2] The Racing Post ranked him as the fifth greatest jockey of the 20th Century and the greatest never to have been champion.[3]
^Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
^Colin Cameron (21 December 1993). "Obituary: Charlie Smirke - People - News". The Independent. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
^
Randall, John (19 May 1999). "Richards is in a class of his own; A Century of Racing - 50 Greatest Flat Jockeys". Racing Post. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
jockey of the 20th Century and the greatest never to have been champion. CharlieSmirke was born in Lambeth, a working-class district of London in 1906. His...
Smirke is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: CharlieSmirke, British jockey Edward Smirke (1795–1875), English lawyer and antiquary Robert...
Childs Alec Taylor, Jr. Lady James Douglas 1935 Bahram Freddie Fox and CharlieSmirke Frank Butters HH Aga Khan III 1970 Nijinsky Lester Piggott Vincent O'Brien...
CharlieSmirke Sam Armstrong HH Maharaja of Baroda 1:35.80 1949 Nimbus Charlie Elliott George Colling Marion Glenister 1:38.00 1950 Palestine Charlie...
Edgar Britt Charles Elsey Sir Victor Sassoon 1:39.15 1957 Rose Royale CharlieSmirke Alec Head Aga Khan III 1:39.15 1958 Bella Paola Serge Boullenger François...
This House. Katie Seymour, Gaiety Theatre dancer, Lambeth resident CharlieSmirke, Derby-winning jockey, born in Lambeth James Stephen, undersecretary...
1947 Migoli 3 CharlieSmirke Frank Butters Aga Khan III 1948 Petition 4 Ken Gethin Frank Butters Sir Alfred Butt 1949 Djeddah 4 Charlie Elliott Charles...
Jarvis J P Hornung 1946 Marsyas 6 Charlie Elliott Charles Semblat Marcel Boussac 1947 Monsieur l'Amiral 6 CharlieSmirke E Charlier Mrs I Henderson 1948...
Trainer Owner Time 1951 Supreme Court 3 Charlie Elliott Evan Williams Vera Lilley 2:29.40 1952 Tulyar 3 CharlieSmirke Marcus Marsh HH Aga Khan III 2:33.00...
Dastur 4 Charlie Elliott Frank Butters Aga Khan III 1934 King Salmon 4 Harry Wragg Ossie Bell Richard Brooke 1935 Windsor Lad 4 CharlieSmirke Marcus Marsh...
Paddy Prendergast Mr Francis More O'Ferrall 1951 Fraise du Bois II CharlieSmirke Harry Wragg HH Begum Aga Khan 1952 Thirteen Of Diamonds Jimmy Mullane...
Sugar Palm 6 Charlie Elliott Frank Hartigan A Bonsor 1945 Golden Cloud 4 Michael Beary Teddy Lambton Mrs G Lambton 1946 The Bug 3 CharlieSmirke Marcus Marsh...
His most notable horse, trained by Marcus Marsh was Windsor Lad; with CharlieSmirke as jockey, were the 1934 winners of the Epsom Derby, in England. King...
1934 Hairan Freddie Fox Frank Butters Aga Khan III 1935 Bala Hissar CharlieSmirke Frank Butters Aga Khan III 1936 Sultan Mohamed Gordon Richards Frank...
1942–44 1945 Honeyway 4 Eph Smith Jack Jarvis Lord Milford 1946 The Bug 3 CharlieSmirke Gerald Wellesley Norman Wachmann 1947 Falls of Clyde 3 Sam Wragg E Williams...
England, U.K. Won vacant NSC British light flyweight title 10 Win 9–1 CharlieSmirke TKO 4 (10) Feb 24, 1902 17 years, 115 days National Sporting Club, Covent...
for the Maharajah of Baroda, although the Maharajah's retained rider CharlieSmirke chose to end the partnership rather than take orders from Carey. Carey...
1933 season. Windsor Lad was ridden in most of his races by Charles "Charlie" Smirke, a controversial figure who was returning after being "warned off"...
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