Joseph Mercer, OBE (25 October 1934 – 17 May 2021) was an English thoroughbred race horse jockey. He was active from 1947 to 1985, riding 2,810 winners in Britain. Mercer's nickname was "Smokin' Joe.”
He was apprenticed to trainer Frederick Sneyd, and he won his first British Classic race on Ambiguity in the 1953 Epsom Oaks as an apprentice. He was British flat racing Champion Apprentice in 1952 and 1953.
He subsequently worked as stable jockey for Jack Colling, Dick Hern, Henry Cecil and Peter Walwyn. While at Cecil's yard, he won his only British flat racing Champion Jockey's title in 1979. Mercer’s most successful ride was Brigadier Gerard, who won all but one of 18 races between 1970 and 1972. Mercer won every British Classic except the Derby, although he twice was runner-up.
He retired as a jockey in November 1985, worked briefly as a jockey's agent, and then became racing manager for Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 1987. He retired in January 2006.
Early life
Joseph Mercer was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, to Emmanuel Mercer, a coach painter, and his wife Jessie. He was one of eight children (four boys, four girls).
He rode donkeys on summer holidays at the seaside with his elder brother, Manny, who became a jockey and died tragically in an accident at Ascot in 1959. Manny recommended Joe to the trainer, Fred Sneyd, to whom he was apprenticed.
Career
1950s
Mercer rode his first winner for Sneyd on Eldoret in a handicap race at Bath in September 1950. He was British flat racing Champion Apprentice jockey in 1952, when he rode 26 winners, and 1953, when he rode 61. One of his 1953 victories was at Oaks, his first English Classic win. He rode Ambiguity, owned by Lord Astor (William Waldorf Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor) and trained by Jack Colling.
Mercer was stable jockey at the Colling-owned West Ilsley stable, having succeeded Gordon Richards. Mercer and Collins had a successful partnership with a number of fine horses, including: Hornbeam, who won 11 races (including first at the Great Voltigeur Stakes and second in the St Leger, Ascot Gold Cup and Doncaster Cup); Rosalba, who won 6 races (winner of the Coronation Stakes, Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and Fred Darling Stakes, and 2nd in Petite Etoile's 1000 Guineas); and Counsel, who won 10 races (a top class handicapper and winner of the Greenham Stakes).
Mercer often rode for other stables. A prominent example includes Festoon, the 1000 Guineas winner, which he rode in an unsuccessful bid at the Oaks but later gave him his first Royal Ascot victory in the Coronation Stakes. Mercer also rode a number of Harry Wragg-trained horses, notably Nagami, who came in third in all the colts Classic races of 1958; and Fidalgo, who in 1959 came in second in the Derby and St Leger and won the Irish Derby.
1960s
Despite winning his jockey championship with Henry Cecil, it was his relationship with the West Ilsley stable under Dick Hern for which he is most famous. Hern took over as trainer at West Ilsley at the end of 1962 on the retirement of Jack Colling, and there was no question he would remain in place on Hern's takeover. The stable was endowed with several top owner-breeders and was now owned by John Jacob Astor (then known as Jakie Astor, and later as Sir John Astor), who with his brother Lord Astor provided most of the horse firepower.
During the early years of the Hern/Mercer partnership they had most success with a series of stayers, the best of which was probably Grey of Falloden who won several stakes races (the Doncaster Cup and Henry II Stakes) but also won the 1964 Cesarewitch Handicap with a then record weight of 9stone 6pounds. The following year the stable hit top form and won both the English St. Leger Stakes and Irish St. Leger Stakes with Provoke (owned by Jakie) and Craighouse (owned by Lord Astor: William Astor, 3rd Viscount Astor) respectively. In both 1964 and 1965 Mercer rode 108 winners in Britain.