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Thursday 18 October 2018

Jack Berry House: A Winner


When is a house not a house?

When it's a horse!

Sounds strange, hey. House, horse...next thing you'll be chatting about red shirts and Mick Easterby. 

If you love your racing and check the racing results, this seemingly cryptic clue of a conversation will, perhaps, make sense. 

Many of you will remember Jack Berry, who back in the day, was a horse trainer noted for his early-season feats of winning two-year-olds. A vast string of juveniles would swarm across the racecourses high and low picking up win after win. His training approach took advantage of the bigger stables who didn't get going until May or June. To be fair, Jack Berry had a few talented horses in his time including Mind Games who contested many Group 1 races but couldn't ever quite get his head in front. Not to say that he didn't achieve great success along the way and concluded his retirement as a stallion at stud. 

Jack Berry has always had a big heart and a passion for everything racing. Like so many successful people he was more interested in others and helped with a charity in his name called Jack Berry House. 

Take a look at their Facebook page here.    

Jack Berry House in Malton, North Yorkshire, was opened in 2015 by the IJF Patron, HRH The Princess Royal. It is a state-of-the-art rehabilitation and fitness centre for northern-based jockeys. Facilities include: 


  • A fully equipped gym for fitness and rehabilitation, and a hydrotherapy pool 
  • Four respite rooms which offer ensuite accommodation and shared communal areas with full wheelchair access throughout 
  • Education on nutrition, fitness and general lifestyle for young and aspiring jockeys designed to help reduce the risks of serious injury

Jack Berry House has made a huge difference to many people's lives. The building was literally built brick by brick from donations and acts of charity. A house blessed by all who founded such a remarkable dwelling.

I couldn't help but smile today as I noticed Mick Easterby had a two-year-old debutante running at Newcastle (6:45) called Jack Berry House. This bay gelding is a son of Harbour Watch and £12,000 yearling purchase. He is owned by G & P Hartley, J Blackburn & Mrs J Lucas (Jack Berry House). I'm not sure of the connection of Mrs Lucas with Jack Berry House but the name says it all. What a great tribute to Jack Berry House and their wonderful staff. 

The horse won at odds of 80/1. It was no fluke as he beat the favourite Drogon, who is a fair juvenile. In fact, this good-looking gelding would have been a very unlucky loser as he had no luck in running. 

Take a look at the race result here


Learn more about Jack Berry House by watching this video