Racing is no stranger to a family dynasty achieving success. The O’Brien’s over in Ireland immediately spring to mind, with Donnacha and Joseph having successfully ridden for their father Aidan before following in his footsteps as a trainer. There are others; Frankie Dettori’s father, Gianfranco, was a Champion Italian Jockey, whilst Megan Nicholls and Patrick Mullins ride for their respective fathers, Paul and Willie. However, there can’t be too many families which boast five generations of winning jockeys. Step forward, the Scudamores.
Already one of the most famous families in the sport, this week saw a new member of the clan do her bit to extend the family legacy, as 17-year-old Margot Scudamore rode her first winner – hanging on by a nose aboard the Ben Brookhouse-trained Liberated Lad to land an Amateur Jockeys event at Nottingham. It was a first win at the eighth time of asking for Margot, but if her pedigree is any guide, there may be many more to come. Here we look back at the four previous riding Scudamore’s who were no strangers to the Winners’ Enclosure.
Geoffrey Scudamore
It all began with Geoffrey, with Margot’s great-great-grandfather finding success as an Amateur rider in the pre-WWII era. Missing out on his chance to ride in the biggest National Hunt contests, such as the Aintree Grand National, due to the onset of the global conflict, Geoffrey emerged as a war hero and passed on his racing talent to his son.
Michael Scudamore
Michael made up for his father’s absence from the Grand National by riding in the Aintree showpiece for 16 consecutive years. His finest hour at Aintree came when partnering Oxo to land the 1959 edition. Two years before that success over the famous fences, Michael claimed the biggest prize at the Cheltenham Festival aboard Linwell in the Gold Cup. Having hung up his silks, Michael embarked on a successful training career and looked on as his son took over the sport.
Peter Scudamore
Impressive as his father’s exploits had been, Peter “Scu” Scudamore put Michael’s exploits firmly in the shade. He may never have picked up a Grand National or Gold Cup trophy, but he won just about every other major prize, including the Queen Mother Champion Chase, the Champion Hurdle (twice), the Scottish Grand National (twice), and the Welsh Grand National (four times). Now assistant trainer to Lucinda Russell, he retired with 1,678 wins and eight Champion Jockey titles.
Tom Scudamore
Tom Scudamore faced an uphill battle to replicate his father’s career – particularly as he belonged to the same era as Tony McCoy. Nevertheless, the hugely popular jockey compiled an impressive 25-year career of his own. Riding his first winner in 1998, Tom finished with a total of 1,512 winners, including 10 at the Cheltenham Festival. Forced into retirement due to injury in 2023, Tom now spends his time as a TV pundit when not dispensing advice to daughter Margot – advice which appears to be paying off.
