William Nevett (26 May 1906 – 9 May 1992) was an English flat racing jockey, who won three wartime Derbies and formed a famous partnership with Dante, one of the horses of the century.
[1] Nevett was born in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester and rode for three generations of the Peacock family - Dobson, Matthew and Richard.
During the war, he served as a private, but continued to ride, winning his 1000th race on Thixendale at Thirsk in 1940 and then three Derbies - on Owen Tudor for Fred Darling in 1941, Ocean Swell for Lord Rosebery and then, most famously, on Dante, for Matthew Peacock.
He went unbeaten at two-years-old and when he reappeared for the first race of his three-year-old season in Stockton's Roseberry Stakes he won by four lengths at odds of 1/10.
[4] He was favourite for the Derby Stakes too (at 100/30) and won by two lengths from Midas, with Court Martial a head behind in third.