Dick Francis, a champion jockey and best-selling novelist, died at age 89. As a jockey, he won over 350 races and rode the Queen Mother's Devon Loch in the 1956 Grand National, which collapsed near the finish line while leading. After retiring from racing in 1957, Francis had a successful career as a thriller writer, publishing 42 novels that sold over 60 million copies. He died of old age at his home in the Cayman Islands and is survived by his two sons, who said they were devastated by the loss of their father but celebrated his extraordinary life and legacy.

1. Monday, February 15, 2010 Issue No. 7,885 £1.70
TODAY’S CARDS HHPlumpton 34 HHCatterick 20 HHWolverhampton 28 WinaVIPholidaytotheDubaiWorldCup,page24
‘Cancer killed
my father in
six weeks
– I wasn’t
going to let
that happen
to me’
Popular former
trainer David
Barker tells Tom
O’Ryan how he’s
staying positive as
he fights illness,
page 11
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By Jessica Lamb
FRIENDS and family of Dick
Francis yesterday celebrated
the life of “an extraordinary
man” after the legendary jockey
and best-selling novelist died at
the age of 89.
Crowned champion in 1954,
Francis was one of the most
successful post-war jump
jockeys, with a tally of over 350
triumphs to his name and was
famously aboard the Queen
Mother’s Devon Loch in the
1956 Grand National when he
collapsed yards from the line
when well clear of the field.
Sir Peter O’Sullevan was
commentating for the BBC at
Aintree that day and recalled the
world-famous incident.
“I saw his cap go down
and the shouting told me
that something dramatic had
happened,” O’Sullevan recalled
yesterday.
“He took it very hard, much
harder than the owner. She was
very philosophical about the
whole thing and said simply,
‘That’s racing’.
“Dick blamed himself for an
incident with a horse he rode
for me, too. It was August 1951
and he fell at the fifth. The horse
hit the fence three inches from
the bottom and bulldozed his
way through it, there was no
way the partnership could have
remained intact. I think it was
purely because of his impeccable
manners that Dick said it was
his fault.
“We’ve been friends ever
since and, put simply, he was
a kind, gentle person with a
considerable gift for riding and
writing.”
HHContinues, page 2
An extraordinary man
with a considerable gift
for riding and writing
Tributes pour in after death
at 89 of novelist and Devon
Loch jockey Dick Francis
A dejected
Francis walks
from the
infamous Devon
Loch incident
– “he took it
very hard” said
his great friend
Sir Peter
O’Sullevan
yesterday
Hard graft
in store for
Denman
Nicholls says the Tank
will need to shape
up for Gold
Cup clash
with
Kauto
Page 6

2. 2 Monday, February 15, 2010 racingpost.com
2.00 Plumpton ATR P34
2.10 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P28
2.20 Catterick RUK P20
2.30 Plumpton ATR P34
2.40 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P28
2.50 Catterick RUK P20
3.00 Plumpton ATR P36
3.10 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P28
3.20 Catterick RUK P21
3.30 Plumpton ATR P36
3.40 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P29
3.50 Catterick RUK P21
4.00 Plumpton ATR P37
4.10 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P29
4.20 Catterick RUK P23
4.30 Plumpton ATR P37
4.40 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P29
4.50 Catterick RUK P23
5.00 Plumpton ATR P39
5.10 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P31
5.40 Wolverhampton (AW) ATR P31
TODAY’S TV RACE BY RACE
DICK FRANCIS 1920-2010
HHFrom front page
Upon retiring from the saddle in
1957, Francis took up his new vocation
as a novelist beginning with his
autobiography entitled The Sport of
Queens and going on to become the
author of 42 novels and a volume of
short stories.
He was acclaimed as one of the
greatest thriller writers in the world,
with his books selling more than 60
million copies.
His most recent novel, Even Money,
written with his younger son, Felix,
was published in September 2009.
Based in the Cayman Islands to
help his late wife Mary’s breathing
problems, Francis reportedly died
from old age at his home and is
survived by five grandsons, one great
grandson as well as his two sons,
Felix and Merrick, who described
themselves as “devastated”.
“My brother, Merrick, and I are, of
course devastated by the loss of our
father, but we rejoice in having been
the sons of such an extraordinary
man,” said Felix.
“We share in the joy that he brought
to so many over such a long life. It is
an honour for me to be able to continue
his remarkable legacy through the
new novels.”
Before becoming a jockey, Francis
had a distinguished military career
joining the RAF in 1940, where he was
initially stationed in the Egyptian
desert before being commissioned as
a pilot in 1943, flying Spitfires,
Wellingtons and then Lancasters.
This regimented life never left
Francis, according to Stan Mellor,
who rode alongside him.
“He wasn’t like other jockeys,” he
said. “He was very polished, you
know he always came into the weigh-
room wearing an airforce jacket and
shined boots.
“In those days it was important to
be a real horseman as the fences were
sometimes a lot stiffer and he was a
great horseman.
incident with Devon Loch.
“You couldn’t make it up and it
could only be described as a character-
building episode.
“The Queen Mother was always
very pleased to see him and he used
to come to the royal box at Ascot
every year to bring her a copy of his
book, which she loved.
“He was a kind, warm person and
he’ll be greatly missed by all, not
least Felix and Merrick as they were
part of his very close-knit family.”
There will be a small funeral at his
home in Grand Cayman, followed by
a memorial service in London.
“He was a very correct rider –
probably because of his families
experience in high-class dressage.”
Sir Michael Oswald, who acted as
racing manager for the Queen Mother,
said: “He was an absolutely top-class
horseman and I know he will always
be remembered for that extraordinary
1Champion jockey title,
season 1953-54
8Rides in the Grand National
16Years with the Sunday Express
as racing correspondent
35Languages novels were
translated into
42Novels published
345Winners ridden
1957The year his publishing career
began
60mbooks sold
DICK FRANCIS
IN NUMBERS‘He was a real
horseman and a
kind person’
A devastated Dick Francis walks past the winning post after
Devon Loch’s collapse on the run-in at Aintree
TODAY
CARDS
Plumpton 2.00 34
INSPECT 8am
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Catterick 2.20 20
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Wolverhampton 2.10 28
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HH Tote Jackpot Catterick: rollover £4,105
HH Tote Super7 see page 7: gtd £100,000
RPTIPPING 7-9
Mark Winstanley ................................................7
Longshot..............................................................7
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RESULTS 56
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