Freddie Palmer was a French-based jockey who won Classic races in England, Ireland and France. He was born on 15 December 1921 and became "a huge name" in flat racing in the 1950s. He won his first major race in 1950 - the

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...

on Flocon. His biggest successes came in 1955, when he rode

Phil Drake Phil Drake (1952–1964) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a brief racing career which lasted from May to July 1955, Phil Drake ran five times and won three races, becoming the fifth and last horse to win both The Derby and ...

to win the English Derby and Rapace to win the French version in the same season. The following year he won the Oaks with Sicarelle and the

St Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

on Cambremer. Then in 1957, he won the

King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Ascot o ...

on Montaval. He ended the 1950s with another big success on Wallaby in the 1959

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

. Among other French successes, he won the

Grand Prix de Paris The Grand Prix de Paris is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 2,400 metres (about 1½ miles), and it ...

three times and the

Prix Royal-Oak The Prix Royal-Oak is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to thoroughbreds aged three years or older. It is run at Longchamp over a distance of 3,100 metres (about 1 mile and 7½ furlongs), and ...

four times. In 1962, he won a second Gold Cup on Balto, as well as a second Prix du Jockey Club on

Val de Loir {{Infobox racehorse , image = , caption = Tin Tin , sire = Vieux Manoir , grandsire = Brantome , dam = Vali , damsire = Sunny Boy , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1959 , country = France , colour = Bay , breeder = Marquise du Vivier ...

. He began a training career in 1964 and won two French classics - Fine Pearl in the Prix de Diane in 1966 and Le Chouan in the Prix Royal-Oak in 1969. His training career lasted until 1990, during which time he supported the careers of

Jean-Claude Rouget Jean-Claude Rouget (born 1953 in Normandy) is a French Thoroughbred horse trainer and former jockey A jockey is someone who rides horses in horse racing or steeplechase racing, primarily as a profession. The word also applies to camel ride ...

, Patrick Monfort and Christian Scandella. He died, aged 98, in 2020.

Major wins (as jockey)

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

Derby Stakes The Derby Stakes, also known as the Epsom Derby or the Derby, and as the Cazoo Derby for sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 flat horse race in England open to three-year-old colts and fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs Racecourse in Surrey ...

- ''

(1955)'' *

Oaks Stakes The Oaks Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old fillies. It is run at Epsom Downs over a distance of 1 mile, 4 furlongs and 6 yards (2 ...

- ''

Sicarelle Sicarelle (1953 – after 1969) was a French Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. Her racing career comprised six races in six months between April and October 1956. After wins in the Prix Perdita and Prix des Lilas she was sent to England ...

(1956)'' *

St Leger Stakes The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

- '' Cambremer (1956)'' *

Ascot Gold Cup The Gold Cup is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Ascot over a distance of 2 miles 3 furlongs and 210 yards (4,014 ...

- (2) - ''Wallaby (1959), Balto (1962)'' *

Eclipse Stakes The Eclipse Stakes is a Group races, Group 1 Flat racing, flat Horse racing, horse race in Great Britain open to horses aged three years or older. It is run at Sandown P ...

- (2) - ''Flocon (1950), Javelot (1960)'' *

- '' Montaval (1957)'' ----

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Irish 1,000 Guineas The Irish 1,000 Guineas is a Group 1 flat horse race in Ireland open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at the Curragh over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres), and it is scheduled to ...

- ''Gazpacho (1963)'' ----

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Prix du Jockey Club The Prix du Jockey Club, sometimes referred to as the French Derby, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a ...

- (2) - ''Rapace (1955),

(1962)'' *

- (4) *

- (3)

Major wins (as trainer)

Prix de Diane The Prix de Diane, sometimes referred to as the French Oaks, is a Group 1 flat horse race in France open to three-year-old thoroughbred fillies. It is run at Chantilly over a distance of 2,100 metre ...

- ''Fine Pearl (1966)'' *

- ''Le Chouan (1969)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Palmer, Freddie 1921 births 2020 deaths Jockeys

Major wins (as jockey)

Major wins (as trainer)

See also

References