27 Facts About Nat Flatman

Nat Flatman began his thirty-four-year racing career as an apprentice jockey at age fifteen and by 1840 he was the dominant rider in British racing, winning the Champion Jockey title thirteen years in a row.

Nat Flatman continued to ride until the paddock accident that incapacitated him and ultimately led to his death at the age of 50.

Nat Flatman was born in Holton St Mary, Suffolk in 1810 to a father who was a smallholder.

Wilson had been responsible for breeding the renowned horse, Smolensko, winner of the 1813 2,000 Guineas and Derby and the young Nat Flatman began to spend a lot of time there, formulating ideas of becoming a jockey.

Nat Flatman attended a local clergyman's school as a child, but when his father ran into financial hardship in 1825 and he had to quit, he was prompted to move to the home of horseracing in Newmarket.

Nat Flatman worked with Cooper for three years before he was offered his first opportunity to race in public.

Cooper had several prominent owners at his yard, including Colonel Peel, the Earl of Strafford, General Yates, Captain Gardnor and, in later years, Mr Payne, Mr Greville, Lord Chesterfield and Lord Glasgow, so Nat Flatman was well placed to ride winners.

Yet, despite the profile and wealth of some of these patrons, Nat Flatman never took a retainer from Cooper during his time at the yard and took no more than 20 per annum from Colonel Peel.

Nat Flatman is reported as having ridden The General in that year's renewal of the Derby, although the Racing Calendar of 1832 shows no record of a horse with that name running in the race.

Nat Flatman rode Gretna Green in the Oaks but finished unplaced.

Nat Flatman took the Goodwood Cup for a second time, as well as a first Doncaster Cup.

Nat Flatman formed a winning partnership with Mango, only to lose the ride, for unrecorded reasons, to Sam Day.

Nat Flatman had by now started to ride for George Payne, who became his regular master and for whom he would ride for the rest of his life.

Nat Flatman's profile was such that he began to be in demand at northern racecourses like Manchester and Newcastle, riding for Malton-based trainer John Scott.

Nat Flatman missed a possible winning chance in the 1841 Derby when he was knocked off Alarm amongst a scuffle at the starting post.

The first seasonal record of jockeys' winners was published in 1846 and from that first publication until 1852, Nat Flatman was always at the top of the list.

The closing years of Nat Flatman's career were not so successful.

Nat Flatman rode Voltigeur, who had won the Derby, St Leger and Doncaster Cup the previous year.

Nat Flatman rode Target for Lord Derby in the Oaks of that year, the last Epsom Classic he rode.

Nat Flatman had his portrait painted by equine artist Harry Hall and by John Frederick Herring, Sr.

The last win of Nat Flatman's career came on the Tuesday of the first October meeting of 1859.

Nat Flatman won a match on Golden Rule for Admiral Rous.

Some have Nat Flatman falling from the horse rather than being kicked by it.

Nat Flatman began to relapse while out riding in his carriage and, after a lingering illness, died on Monday 20 August 1860.

Nat Flatman had won 13 championships and 10 classics, every classic but the Oaks.

Nat Flatman was survived by a widow, three daughters and two sons, neither of which followed their father into the profession.

Nat Flatman was known as an inelegant rider who lacked the "horsemanship and flashes of genius" of his contemporary Frank Butler.