Gordon’s Racing Career

The remarkable feature of Adam Lindsay Gordon’s unlikely success as an amateur steeplechase jockey was his ability to overcome his physical defects. The Gordons were a family known for their tall and gaunt features.  Lanky Lindsay was not your pint-sized midget jockey, but stood over six feet three inches (190.5cm) and weighed just under nine stone ten pound (61.6kgs). Slim and agile with very long legs, he was further handicapped by defective eyesight—beyond the horse’s eyes was all blur and mist. 

Physically, Gordon was the most unlikely champion jockey, but he possessed an intuitive ability of knowing his horse better than any man.  A summary of “Long Gordon’s” successes reveals a record worthy of inclusion in the Racing Hall of Fame.

Record as a jockey

Wins (21 races):

Hurdle Race on Eagle – Mt Gambier SA (20/06/1861)
Steeplechase on Vanguard – MacDonnell Bay SA (1/10/1861) 
Hurdle Race on Sandlark – Mt Gambier SA (26/12/1861) 
Steeplechase on Vanguard – Penola SA (15/01/1862) 
Hurdle Race on Ivanhoe – Guichen Bay (Robe) SA (28/02/1862) 
Steeplechase on Ivanhoe – Mt Gambier SA (26/09/1862) 
Border Steeplechase on Modesty – Mt Gambier SA (5/05/1863) 
Hurdle Race on Cadger – Guichen Bay (Robe) SA (24/01/1865)
Maiden Steeplechase on Cadger – Coleraine Vic (20/04/1865) 
Steeplechase on Cadger – Penola SA (5/05/1865) 
Annual Steeplechase on Cadger – Thebarton (Adelaide) SA (20/09/1865) 
The Handicap Steeplechase on Ballarat – Ballarat Vic (1/12/1865) 
Amateur Steeplechase on Cadger – Ballarat Vic (10/08/1867) 
The Selling Steeplechase on Cadger – Ballarat Vic (18/09/1868) 
The Melbourne Hunt Club Cup on Babbler – Flemington Vic (10/10/1868) 
Metropolitan Steeplechase (Handicap) on Viking – Flemington Vic (10/10/1868)
The Selling Steeplechase on Cadger – Flemington Vic (10/10/1868) 
(VRC) Steeplechase on Viking – Flemington Vic (7/11/1868) 
Handicap Steeplechase on Babbler – Ballarat Vic (5/12/1868) 
(VRC) Steeplechase on Babbler – Flemington Vic (27/03/1869) 
Maiden Steeplechase on Maid of the Wannon – Caulfield Vic (24/06/1869)

2nd place (10 races):

Penola Hurdle on Gaylard – Penola SA (3/02/1860) 
Steeplechase on Vanguard – Hamilton Vic (5/12/1861) 
South Australian Steeplechase on Cadger – Thebarton (Adelaide) SA (10/09/1863) 
Great Western Steeplechase on Modesty – Coleraine Vic (21/04/1864) 
The Amateur Steeple on Cadger – Ballarat Vic (3/04/1866) 
Annual Steeplechase on Hector – Thebarton (Adelaide) SA (15/09/1866) 
The Grand National Steeplechase on Cadger – Ballarat Vic (12/04/1867) 
The Great Metropolitan Steeplechase on Cadger – Flemington Vic (18/10/1867) 
(VRC) Steeplechase on Babbler – Flemington Vic (29/03/1869) 
The Handicap Steeplechase on Prince Rupert – Ballarat Vic (4/12/1869)

3rd place (10 races):

Great Western Handicap Steeplechase on Vanguard – Coleraine Vic (20/05/1862) 
Handicap Steeplechase on Vandyke – Penola SA (18/05/1864) 
Border Handicap Steeplechase on Modesty – Mt Gambier SA (27/07/1864)
The Great Western Steeplechase on Ballarat – Coleraine Vic (20/04/1865) 
The Melbourne Hunt Club Cup on Merrimae – Flemington Vic (18/10/1867)
The Handicap Steeplechase on Cadger – Ballarat Vic (20/12/1867) 
The Hunt Steeplechase on Maude – Ballarat Vic (18/09/1868) 
Grand National Steeplechase on Babbler – Flemington Vic (1/01/1869)
Handicap Steeplechase on Maude – Ballarat Vic (12/02/1869) 
Handicap Steeplechase on Maid of the Wannon – Bylands (Kilmore) Vic (1/07/1869)

Unplaced (21 races):

Penola Hurdle on Cigar – Penola SA (1/02/1861) 
Stewards’ Purse on Vanguard – Guichen Bay (Robe) SA (1/03/1862) 
Handicap on Ivanhoe – Mt Gambier SA (27/09/1862) 
Great Western Steeplechase on Modesty – Coleraine Vic (14/05/1863) 
The Handicap Hurdle Race on Modesty – Ballarat Vic (1/10/1863) 
The Grand Amateur Steeplechase on Tam O’Shanter – Ballarat Vic (3/10/1863) 
Corinthian Hurdle Race on Modesty – Hamilton Vic (15/12/1863) 
Handicap Steeplechase on Modesty – Portland Vic (31/12/1863) 
The Maiden Steeplechase on Red Lancer – Ballarat Vic (11/05/1865) 
Grand National Steeplechase on Cadger – Flemington Vic (1/01/1866) 
The Ballarat Grand National Steeplechase on Cadger – Ballarat Vic (2/04/1866) 
The Great Western Steeplechase on Cadger – Coleraine Vic (19/04/1866) 
The Autumn Steeplechase on Viking – Ballarat Vic (15/05/1868) 
The Master’s Cup (Handicap) on Palinurus – Flemington Vic (17/10/1868) 
The Handicap Steeplechase on Union – Geelong Vic (5/03/1869) 
Croxton Park Steeplechase on Maid of the Wannon – Croxton Park (Northcote) Vic (10/07/1869) 
Maiden Steeplechase on Gaylad – Croxton Park (Northcote) Vic (21/08/1869)
The Adelaide Hunt Club on Launcelot – Thebarton (Adelaide) SA (2/10/1869)
Selling Steeplechase on Shamrock – Melbourne Vic (16/10/1869) 
(VRC) Steeplechase on Prince Rupert – Melbourne Vic (6/11/1869) 
(VRC) Steeplechase on Prince Rupert – Flemington Vic (12/03/1870)

Record as an owner

Wins (1 race):

Grand National Steeplechase with Viking – Flemington Vic (1/01/1869) 

2nd place (1 race):

Maiden Plate with Cadger – Mt Gambier SA (5/05/1863) 

3rd place (3 races):

Storekeeper’s Purse with Mould – Mt Gambier SA (20/06/1861) 
The Melbourne Hunt Club Cup with Freetrader – Melbourne Vic (16/10/1869)
Grand National Steeplechase with Viking – Melbourne Vic (16/10/1869) 

Unplaced (5 races):

Hurdle Race with Ivanhoe – Branxholme Vic (5/03/1862) 
Hack Hurdle Race with Ivanhoe – Casterton Vic (21/05/1862) 
The Ballarat Grand National Steeplechase with Ballarat – Ballarat Vic (13/05/1865) 
(VRC) Steeplechase with Freetrader – Melbourne Vic (6/11/1869)
Steeplechase with Freetrader – Flemington Vic (1/01/1870)

Source: The Border Watch 5 May 1936 p11.