POX'S CLOSE CALL

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 138, 9 December 1930, Page 6

POX'S CLOSE CALL

ENGLAND'S BIDING- HONOURS

Tremendous interest attached to the duel at Manchester on 25th November between. Fred Fox and Gordon Richards to Kettle, the. question of the. season's jockey championship. o£ England; Fox eventually came, out victor, with 129 successes for the flat racing season as against Richard's 128. Richards, despite the fact that he was a firm; favourite, started the. day one race behind; Fox; but soon drew- level by winning the first race. Then when he triumphed on Glorious Devon in the November Handicap, a -ace. that decided the Dublin Sweep,, there was. a feeling that Richards was "home" for the fifth time. But F6z> despite his. 42 years,, rose nobly toi the occasion, and drew- level again by winning: the. next race after a thrilling finish. Fox settled the issue in the following race by winning on the favourite. Richards did not have a ride in this race, and- neither rode in the last race of the day. Richards- had many chances at the back «nd! of: the; season: of catching Fox, who ■naer tne leader almost from the beginning; but He wa« unable to take full advantage of his opportunities. Before the

cud of September he had reduced the margin between them to two, but then there came a remarkable run of losing rides for him from the 16th to 25th October, and he had 55 consecutive mounts without a win. The run came to an end with victory on Tea Party 11. iv the Scarborough Stakes at Newmarket. At this point Fox had 321 winners listed to his credit as against Richards's 132. Following Fox and Richards in the championship, were T. Weston and H. Wragg, but neither of them reached the century.