237:, a horse which needed to be given a lead. Donoghue asked Wheatley, riding Nassovian, whether he might oblige. Wheatley refused, saying he had been given orders by his trainer to wait. All the other jockeys took the same stance, with the result that all four runners stood still at the start. The starter threatened he would report the jockeys to the stewards, they started at a slow canter, then Donoghue had the idea to crack Nassovian on the rear with his whip. Nassovian set off at speed, Gay Crusader tracked him before pulling past and winning comfortably. At the finish, Wheatley was found tending to the gash across his horse's hind quarters. He asked Donoghue, "What am I going to say when the trainer sees me?". Donoghue quipped back, "Tell him you've been promoted to lance-corporal and you've been given your first stripe."
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After the war, though, Wheatley's career began to falter again. In 1923, he was kept out of action for most of the season through illness and even though he fully recovered and was riding again the following season, the lean spell continued to the point where "his past exploits would seem to have
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where success seemed harder to come by. His seasonal win total began to tail off. In 1908, he only had 25 winners, in 1911 only 17. He did have some success though. In 1913, the last full season before the outbreak of World War I, he won his solitary
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on Hornet's Beauty and in the same year, his win total was back up to 79. During this time he also moved into the heart of
British horseracing in
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Wheatley married twice. His first wife died in the summer of 1912 and shortly after he married actress Maudie Wood, sister of music hall star
185:, setting a new record for wins in a year by an apprentice in the process. He was the last Northern-based jockey to win the title until
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261:. He remained in Egypt until his wife's death in 1951, whereupon he returned home to Ilkeston. He died there in October 1951.
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been almost forgotten" Eventually, Wheatley returned North, where he was once again a big fish in a small pond.
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His career progressed rapidly and in 1905, while still an apprentice, he won 125 races to earn the title of
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where he spent most of the remainder of his life. In 1933, retired from racing, he was appointed principal
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On completing his apprenticeship, Elijah went to work at Dobson
Peacock's stable in
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An interesting tale about
Wheatley is recounted by his fellow jockey,
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Illustration of Elijah
Wheatley from a 1906 Ogden's cigarette card
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131:(c. 1885–1951), nicknamed because of his small stature, was a
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401:"Elijah 'The Whippet' rode winner of 1913 St Leger".
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won in 2000 and the first apprentice ever to win it.
595:. Wellington, New Zealand. 17 June 1936. p. 13
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621:. Sydney, Australia. 15 February 1913. p. 4
540:. Perth, Australia. 24 February 1938. p. 12
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589:"The Kentucky Derby: Bold Venture Was Lucky"
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166:around 1885. From there, he moved to become
667:"Jockeys' Winning Mounts from 1907 to 1914"
641:"Jockeys' Winning Mounts from 1907 to 1913"
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210:and had other big race wins including the
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249:Wheatley's next career step took him to
426:. Ilkeston, Derbyshire. 15 January 2012
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481:"Flat-race review: Murtagh the master"
479:Armytage, Marcus (7 November 2000).
420:"Tell me more about jockey (letter)"
569:. Auckland, New Zealand. p. 21
460:. Auckland, New Zealand. p. 21
405:. Louth, Lincolnshire. 23 May 2007.
183:British flat racing Champion Jockey
110:British flat racing Champion Jockey
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170:at the yard of William Elsey of
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671:Sporting Chronicle Annual 1915
645:Sporting Chronicle Annual 1914
1:
708:British Champion flat jockeys
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513:National Horseracing Museum
122:Night Hawk, Hornet's Beauty
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713:Sportspeople from Ilkeston
559:Whalebone (24 June 1924).
534:"Steve Donoghue's Secrets"
509:"Profile: Hornet's Beauty"
450:Whalebone (28 June 1924).
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129:Elijah "Whippet" Wheatley
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615:"Jockey Marries Actress"
206:on Night Hawk in the
158:Wheatley was born in
143:Jockeys' Championship
199:Middleham, Yorkshire
92:British Classic Race
486:The Daily Telegraph
424:Ilkeston Advertiser
673:. Manchester. 1915
647:. Manchester. 1914
117:Significant horses
303:Night Hawk (1913)
212:Portland Handicap
141:who won the 1905
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85:Major racing wins
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231:Champion Stakes
229:. In the 1917
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98:St Leger Stakes
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94:wins as jockey:
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25:Elijah Wheatley
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227:Steve Donoghue
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16:British Jockey
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309:Career record
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293:Great Britain
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265:Personal life
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104:Racing awards
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675:. Retrieved
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597:. Retrieved
593:Evening Post
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571:. Retrieved
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561:"Turf Notes"
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542:. Retrieved
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516:. Retrieved
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491:. Retrieved
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462:. Retrieved
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452:"Turf Notes"
428:. Retrieved
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403:Louth Leader
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377:1915 onwards
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235:Gay Crusader
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193:Professional
187:Kevin Darley
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176:Lincolnshire
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72:October 1951
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703:1951 deaths
379:– not known
325:– not known
271:Marie Lloyd
136:flat racing
692:Categories
538:Daily News
384:References
281:Major wins
168:apprentice
164:Derbyshire
154:Apprentice
79:Derbyshire
63:Derbyshire
43:Occupation
619:The Globe
299:St. Leger
259:King Fuad
220:Newmarket
216:Doncaster
677:25 April
651:25 April
625:17 April
599:17 April
573:17 April
518:17 April
493:17 April
489:. London
464:17 April
430:17 April
208:St Leger
160:Ilkeston
75:Ilkeston
59:Ilkeston
255:trainer
245:Trainer
204:Classic
172:Baumber
133:British
56:c. 1885
149:Career
139:jockey
47:Jockey
544:8 May
319:– 125
273:, in
251:Egypt
679:2013
653:2013
627:2013
601:2013
575:2013
546:2013
520:2013
495:2013
466:2013
432:2013
373:– 45
371:1914
367:– 79
365:1913
361:– 73
359:1912
355:– 17
353:1911
349:– 41
347:1910
343:– 27
341:1909
337:– 25
335:1908
331:– 44
329:1907
323:1906
317:1905
112:1905
69:Died
53:Born
257:to
214:at
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301:–
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
