HARKAWAY CLUB CELEBRATES 100 YEARS AT CHADDESLEY CORBETT: 1974-1984

By the mid-1970s, the Harkaway Club fixture was run in late March or early April. The first year for which the (then) Sale & Mackenzie Annual provides full results was 1974, when the Mens Open was won by Fortification – it was one of three wins for the horse that season, but his first for seven years. Vilacity – ridden by the one-eyed Pat Kerby – took the Ladies Open, the first of four consecutive wins in the same race.

The annual does not list results for 1975, but – in 1976 – Vilacity and Pat Kerby completed their hat-trick and the Mens Open was taken by the classy His Last, owned by subsequent PPORA founder Jim Mahon.

1977 saw wins in the two divisions of the Restricted for Ridware Fox – the first of five consecutive victories – and Melodic Beat, ridden by Robert Chugg. Sparkford, one of the leading pointers of the era – the mount of 1978 champion John Bryan – won the Mens Open and Skittles and John Whittall took the Farmers Race for the second time in a row.

Star of the 1978 fixture was Little Fleur, champion horse that season with 12 wins, still a joint-record. The mare was completing a double for John Bryan, initiated by the consistent 1976 Lady Dudley Cup winner Jim Lad in the Club Race. Terrible Tim and Christine Mason started what became a four-timer in the Ladies Open, and Extra Fine won the Farmers Race. His rider, a young Nigel Twiston-Davies, was described by the annual as ‘progressive’.

Little Fleur (right) and John Bryan

Extra Fine and his ‘progressive’ young rider

The Restricted winner in 1979, Spartella, was embarking on a promising career between the flags, the Ladies Open went to Pat Kerby for the fifth time in six years – this time on Happy Returns and the Club Race went the way of another future Grand National-winning trainer, Major Star scoring in the hands of Steve Brookshaw.

Spartella (left) takes the Restricted

Pat Kerby and Happy Returns

The 1980 fixture was run on a Thursday and Major Star and Steve Brookshaw followed-up in the Members Race. Other repeat victors were the now veteran Jim Lad, who scored in a higher grade – winning the Ladies Open, one of five successes that season – and Extra Fine, another five-time winner, this time ridden by Bob Woolley. Mens Open winner Barleydale was another to enjoy a fine season and Moralist, who had won the Maiden in 1979, upgraded to the Restricted.

After abandonments in 1981 and 1982, the classiest performer on display in 1983 was Brockie Law, who took the Ladies Open with Teresa Webber, while Ladies Members winner Rockin Berry proved to be a horse on the upgrade.

Clear Pride had won the Mens Open on the card in 1979 for Tim Holland-Martin and followed-up five years later, this time ridden by John Weston, who rode a double on the day, his other winner being Le Jour Fortune in the Restricted. Another to win two races was Alastair Ulyet, who took the Adjacent on Tanker – unbeaten in four that season – and one of the Maiden divisions on Soleure.

All photography by Peter Sweet