Charlie Smirke

Charles Smirke
Charlie Smirke, in the colours of HH Aga Khan (Gallaher's cigarette card, 1936)
OccupationJockey
Born23 September 1906
Lambeth, England, United Kingdom
Died30 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]

  1. ^ Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  2. ^ Colin Cameron (21 December 1993). "Obituary: Charlie Smirke - People - News". The Independent. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  3. ^ 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.