Hundreds turn out to say farewell to Newmarket's Willie Snaith

By Alison Hayes

alison.hayes@iliffepublishing.co.uk

Published: 17:22, 03 July 2019

| Updated: 17:24, 03 July 2019

The Royal silks adorn Willie's coffin at his funeral service today

Hundreds of mourners turned out to say a final farewell to former jockey Willie Snaith today.

The former jockey, once dubbed The Pocket Hercules by racegoers, died last month at the age of 91.

Among the mourners were his two sons John and Derek, daughter Helen, and his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Willie at the White Lion in the early 1960s with jockey pals including Frankie Durr, David East, Taffy Thomas, Paul Cook, Brian Taylor and Colin Williams

From the world of racing there were former jockeys Bruce Raymond, Philip Robinson, Alan Bond, Taffy Thomas, Derek Morris, Ian Watkinson, Eric Eldin and Dominic Gibson, former trainers Bill O'Gorman, David Ringer, Gavin Pritchard Gordon and current trainers John Berry and Charlie Fellowes.

Racing writer Brough Scott gave the eulogy and said Willie was one of his boyhood heroes.

Gallery1

Willie's family including his sons, Derek and John, and daughter, Helen, at All Saints' Church for his funeral yesterday

As he will be remembered by so many Willie, left, then 60, with fellow work riders at Warren Place, the late Frank Storey centre, and John Higgins

Donations at the service were for the Injured Jockeys' Fund and anyone wishing to make a donation to the charity in Willie's memory can do so online.

Newmarket Alison Hayes