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Great Rock (GB)Great Rock (GB) | ||
| Sire | Black Rock | |
| Dam | M.E.F. | |
| DOB | 1953 | |
| Sex | gelding | |
| Colour | bay | |
| Owner | Mrs A Straker | |
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Great Rock was one of the first horses to join my stable upon gaining a licence. He was owned by Mrs Straker and he would move between a number of yards in his career. Great Rock made his debut for Ayr trainer Gerry Laurence in June 1955 at his local track, next to which Laurence's stables were situated. His trainer had thought him a poor horse and Mrs Straker had bought the cast-off who had a string of runners-up spots to his name. Mrs Straker sent Great Rock to Bill Dutton, who trained at Grove Cottage in Malton, and as a three year old he won a number of races, improving as he went further. Great Rock's finest hour came at Newcastle in 1957 when he won an eventful renewal of the two mile Northumberland Plate. Seventeen runners went to post on 29th June 1957, the drama unfolding at the first bend when seven horses fell in a horrific pile up at the first bend. The fallers were in the middle of the field and brought down the trailing horses but unbelievably only one jockey was injured with concussion and a broken leg, whilst all of the horses lived to see another day. Great Rock won the race at odds of 10/1. The following season Great Rock won the Manchester Cup ridden by Bill Elsey's apprentice, Don Morris, to collect a first prize of £2,000. Bill Dutton died in 1958 and the horse was sent to Harry Whiteman, who trained Great Rock to win the Edinburgh Spring Handicap in April 1960. In 1961 I would become the fourth trainer of Great Rock, now eight years of age. He was a good horse to have in the yard for a trainer in his first season. On 17th April 1961 Great Rock won the Edinburgh Spring Handicap for the second successive season to become my first winner from just my third runner. He defeated Abbotsbury Abbot, trained by Walter Easterby, with the third horse being six lengths back. Great Rock would leave Sheriff Hutton in 1963, to join George Robinson's yard near Berwick-upon-Tweed and he won his share of hurdle races in Scotland and the north of England. Great Rock will always be remembered as the horse who started off almost six decades of training horses. | ||
| Date | Race |
| 17Apr61 | Edinburgh Spring Handicap | Edinburgh |
Jimmy Etherington
1m 2f
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