the smiths.

​We will never know if Eph Smith would have traded his Epsom Derby success on Blue Peter for his brother Doug’s five jockeys championship or vice versa. Two jockeys who in their time were regarded as top-notch, jockeys who won classics, yet their names and achievements are hard to recall.
Eph, I believe his first name was Eric and I have not read anywhere, including in his autobiography, ‘Riding To Win’ that Eph was short for Ephraim, as might seem logical, began his riding career aged thirteen in 1929 and had ridden 2,313 winners by the time of his retirement in 1965. His brother started his riding career, also aged thirteen, three-years after his brother, though he made a far more impressive early impact on the racecourse.
Even Eph admitted that Doug was the more natural rider of the two, even though they both had the same riding experiences as children. Both hunted, show-jumped and were on the backs of racehorses at an age considered today as reckless. Eph even had a rare breed of equine, a donkey that could jump quite substantial fences.
There is a modern perception that flat jockeys come to racing without any horse-riding experience and learn as they go along. Sometimes that is the case but as Oisin Murphy and Tom Marquand, to name but two, prove, they can be riding over obstacles and in pony races from an early age, their light weight no doubt a great advantage to them. Back in the Smiths’ time it was not uncommon for flat jockeys to take out a jumping licence to keep themselves busy, and to keep their weight in check, during the winter.
As when Lester Piggott was at his zenith, it was a case of if he remained fit and wanted to be champion no other jockey got much of a look-in. It was the same for jump jockeys when A.P. McCoy bestrode the sport with his iron will. In the era in which the Smiths were riding, it was the force of nature that was Gordon Richards who had an iron grip on the jockeys championship. From 1946 to 1953 Doug Smith was runner-up to the great man. In 1947 Doug Smith rode 173 winners, five more than was necessary when he won the championship himself in 1955. Gordon Richards rode 269 winners in 1947, the record that A.P. McCoy finally bettered. How many jockeys have ridden 173 winners in a season and not been champion? Not many, I suspect. And this was an age when there were no evening meetings and jockeys often travelled to race-meetings by train.
Sir Gordon had to retire before Doug Smith could take the crown and then it was injury that took out Richards, and a fall not on the racecourse proper but in the paddock. It would be harsh to claim that Smith’s first championship was gifted to him by the forced absence of Richards as they were involved in a great tussle at the time of his accident and Smith himself had missed a large number of winners due to a fall at Salisbury earlier in the season. And it might be said for the four following years he was champion jockey he was only keeping the crown warm for the emergence of one Lester Piggott. Doug Smith took the crown from one great jockey of the flat only to pass it on to another. In all, Doug was champion five-times and he titled his autobiography, perhaps proving his pride in the accomplishment ‘Five-Times Champion’.
Eph’s career ran in tandem with his brother’s. He won the Derby in 1939 and 2,000 Guineas on Blue Peter and that year also won the Ascot Gold Cup, the St. James’ Palace Stakes, the Cork and Orrery, Bessborough and Eclipse. He continued to ride big race winners throughout his time as a jockey and was a noted big-race rider. In those days, of course, the big handicaps were also collectors items, whereas if a top jockey writing his autobiography today he or she would hardly mention any big handicap success after they lost their claim. Even winning the Wood Ditton in 1956 was considered worthy enough for Eph to include in the list of big race successes.
As their careers mirrored each other, sadly their deaths had a similar look. Doug trained with success after retiring from riding, winning the Epsom Oaks with Sleeping Partner. Yet, for reasons only known to his family, I suspect, drink consumed him and he was an alcoholic when in 1972 he committed suicide in his own swimming pool.
Eph, who was deaf or partially deaf for most of his life, was found dead in a brook outside Newmarket aged 71. The coroner passed a verdict of misadventure.
Between them the two brothers rode 5,424 winners, with Doug contributing 3,111.