On The Coalface
On The Coalface, the horse racing bloodstock podcast brought to you every month by pinhooker and European leading consignor Jamie Railton. Enjoy monthly relevant bloodstock topics discussed with professionals in the industry.
On The Coalface
Ep4: Where have all the horsemen/women gone?
John Francome MBE (13 December 1952) is a former National Hunt Champion Jockey, television pundit and author.
At sixteen years old he became apprentice to Lambourn trainer Fred Winter and so began his career as a jockey. He rode a total of 1,138 winners, his last being in April 1985. He was Champion Jockey seven times, between 1976 and 1985 and is dubbed the best jockey never to have won the Grand National.
After retiring, Francome was awarded the MBE in 1986 for services to racing. He was a trainer for 18 months before becoming a TV presenter for Channel 4’s horse racing broadcasts. Like another former jockey, Dick Francis, Francome has taken to writing works of fiction. His books have featured on the bestseller lists. Francome ceased appearing on Channel 4 Racing at the close of 2012 when the Highflyer Production term ended. He stated in a Racing Post interview that he had only continued to work on TV for so long out of loyalty to producer Andrew Franklin.