FOR David Mould, horse racing really was the sport of kings.


As stable jockey to Peter Cazalet, he rubbed shoulders with royalty, riding more than 100 winners for Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.


His list of who’s who owners also included Sir Winston Churchill, Gregory Peck and Commander Raymond R Guest, the US ambassador to Ireland between 1965 and 1968.


Born in Ashford, Middlesex in 1940, Mould married Marion Coakes in Hordle in 1969, just months after she had won a silver medal at the Mexico Olympics aboard her pony Stroller, which is buried on Barton-on-Sea golf course.


One of National Hunt’s leading jockeys between 1958 and 1975, Mould, who lives at Lytchett Matravers, rode 606 winners – and broke almost every bone in his body and nearly lost his life. 


“I even managed to break my foot two days after our wedding – that was some honeymoon!” he said, in an interview with the Daily Echo ahead of the start of the Cheltenham Festival.


“I attended Sir Winston Churchill’s funeral with my leg in plaster after the Queen Mother had saved my career and probably my life. 


“I broke my leg badly and they put a plate in it but I got gangrene. My surgeon was Bill Tucker who used to look after all the sportspeople in Harley Street but he was on holiday.


“In those days, nobody would touch you if you were someone else’s patient. I rang the Queen Mother and told her I was dying. I was so ill. My body was poisoned, the gangrene had set in and I was in a bad way.
“She rang her surgeon Sir Henry Osmond-Clarke who told me to get to London. He said I might lose my leg but he would do his best to save it. I was so lucky.”


Mould was also among the mourners at the Queen Mother’s funeral at Westminster Abbey in 2002 and described her as “an absolutely wonderful lady”.


The first man in this country to ride the legendary Tingle Creek, Mould was Her Majesty’s most successful jockey and would wear a new pair of breeches and boots every time he rode in the famous buff and black colours.


“It was out of respect,” said Mould, who piloted Different Class to third place in the 1968 Grand National for American actor Peck. 


“My mother and father were war people and, as far as they were concerned, The Queen and Winston Churchill won the war for us.


“Peter Cazalet was the Queen Mother’s trainer and I was his jockey. I was just fortunate to be there at the right time.


“I rode for lots of lords and ladies and just had the most fabulous job. I also had a fortunate career.


“I broke most of the bones in my body and my two collarbones 12 times. One of my collarbones is made of steel. I think ribs are the most painful.


“In my day, we didn’t wear body protectors and, when I started, we didn’t wear helmets. It seems crazy now. 


“The biggest safety thing now are the plastic rails. They used to be concreate posts with four-by-two boards strapped to them.”


Mould, who spent 15 years as the Daily Mail’s racing tipster Gimcrack, rode two winners on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival in 1972 – Clever Scot and Jomon.


“It’s a different game now,” added Mould, who is “enjoying retirement” with his wife and now spends his Saturday afternoons watching son Jack playing football for New Milton.


“When Stan Mellor rode 1,000 winners, we said it would never be beaten. Now, lots of jockeys ride 1,000 winners.


“The sport is really well run and the Injured Jockeys Fund does an unbelievable job. We were left to our own ends when we were hurt and just had to get on with it. There was no support or money.


“The fences are easier now and they get a lot more rides. We rode for our governor and that was it. 


“Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tough life but lots of things have made it better these days.


“We got seven guineas a ride and 10 for a win. On top of that, it was down to whatever an owner decided to give you. 


“I got wonderful presents from the Queen Mother. Some gave you nothing.”