Nigel Mitchell

Article by Alan Trout

Born on May 30, 1956, Nigel Roland Mitchell had three wins under National Hunt rules in the mid-1970s.

Initially apprenticed to Frenchie Nicholson, he had the good fortune to then join leading NH trainer Bob Turnell, and it was for him that he had his first success when the five-year-old Miss Poker Face took the lead at the last flight and ran on well to beat Always Happy by three lengths in the Wellington Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Wolverhampton on February 8, 1975. It was the only time he rode her.

It was not until the following season, on November 22, 1975, that he had his second win, again at Wolverhampton. Riding another of Bob Turnell’s five-year-olds, Bird Of Prey, he waited until the run-in to take the lead and landed the Snow Handicap Hurdle by a length and a half. This may have partly compensated for their previous start together at Ascot the previous month when they had crashed out at the final hurdle when holding every chance. A two-frame photo of the incident appeared in the following day’s Sporting Life (right).

Nigel had his last victory on the first day of 1976 when Major Tory beat Grey Bird by three lengths at the end of the Northleach Opportunity Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham. He had few further chances thereafter, having his final ride just two months later at Lingfield Park on March 3 when Successor was a well-beaten fourth in the Medway Handicap Hurdle.