Tommy Weston (jockey)

He retired in 1950 and stayed in Newmarket. In later life he was a "sad figure", having spent all the money he made. He died, aged 78, in 1981 at Ely Hospital.

The partnership between Lord Derby and Weston was dissolved in 1934, without any explanation. It has been suggested that Weston was in conflict with Colledge Leader, Lambton's successor as Lord Derby's trainer, a situation exacerbated when Hyperion lost that year's Ascot Gold Cup. Weston's career was not the same afterwards, although he helped South African millionaire owner Sir Abe Bailey win his first Classic in forty years, when winning the 1936 Oaks on Lovely Rosa, said to be the worst Oaks winner of the 20th century.

In 1933 Weston on Hyperion recorded what has been called "the greatest Derby-winning performance of all time" beating high class rivals by an official margin of four lengths, which from photographs has been shown to be closer to eight. Doubts were raised as to the manner of the victory, however, with the suggestion that Weston was aided in his victory by Steve Donoghue, on Hyperion's stablemate Thrapston, securing a clear passage for him. He won in a then record time of 2 minutes, 34 seconds.

Two years later he was champion jockey in the year that the rider who would come to dominate the championship for the next thirty years, Gordon Richards, was out for nearly the whole season with illness. He would go on to ride the Horse of the Year in five of the next seven seasons – Colorado (1927), Fairway (1928 and 1929), Gold Cup winner Bosworth (1930) and Hyperion (1933), who would go on to become one of the 20th century's foremost sires.

He bought his 1927 Eclipse Stakes winner, Cap-a-Pie, after its retirement, for £26 5s at an auction at Folkestone Racecourse, then took it away to be humanely destroyed, allegedly to save it from the dishonour of being used as a cart horse or worse.

These started with a win on Tranquil in the 1923 St. Leger, followed by Sansovino in the 1924 Derby at a muddy Epsom. Before the latter, he got his white scarf caught in the top button of his racing top. This was taken as a lucky sign and the famous 'lucky white button' has been incorporated into the Lord Derby colours ever since.

He rode his first winner at Newmarket on 30 October 1918 on a horse called Miss Richard. and his first notable win in the Jubilee Handicap at Kempton Park on Arion. After demonstrating his ability riding Redhead, winner of the Liverpool Summer Cup, for trainer George Lambton, Lambton recommended Weston to Lord Derby to be his retained jockey. Weston rode for Lord Derby for ten years, winning nine Classics.

Thomas Weston (February 1902 – 1981), born Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, was a British horse racing jockey. One of the most successful jockeys of the inter-war years, he won eleven English Classics, eight as stable jockey for the Earl of Derby including two Derby Stakes winners in Sansovino and Hyperion. He was British flat racing Champion Jockey in 1926.