YOUNG JOCKEY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 63, 1 April 1937, Page 11

YOUNG JOCKEY

Notable Success at Ellerslie - DIMINUTIVE RIDER The hero of the hour at Ellerslie on Monday, ihe opening day of the Auckland Eacing Club 's Easter meetiiig, was a 144-yiear-old, jockey, Geoifrey Gilchri'st, who rode * the horse Tooley Strcet ' to victory in the . Easter Handicap. He handled his mount like an experieneed jockoy-of inature . years, and received an ovation the like of whieh has seldorn been heard on the coUrse. Geoftrey is a boy of ho mean accornplishment, in spite of his diminutive stature and' weight of 'fiv'e stone, llo was dux. of Te Tapapa iscliool last year, but has now left school. He rude hw first race in the apprentices ' event, the Ellerslie* Hah'dieap, last Boxing Day, whe'n he 'was placed' fourth oh .Eleetwirid. Since then he has ridden in five other events, having been granted an opeu

licence on' February 27. He .has never been farther baek th'an fifth. He rode second on "Kelly in the first race on Monday, the President ;s Handicap. Not'the least thrilled over his victory was young Gilchrist himself. He was escorted into the weighing-room, amid eheers,." by the" viee-presideht of the club, Dr. A. M. Grant, and the chief stipendiary steward, Mr 0. Gomer. The crowd good-humouredly watclied ' him unsaddle his ' moiint ' and, praeticallv liidden behind the gear he carrieci, march proudly off toward the seale room. Another cheer went up as be shook h'ands with. the owner of the horse, Mr'H. Rama. Describing the race, the young rider said he did not get th.e best of starts, being placed in the middle of the field, However, by the time he reached the barrier rise he thought he would wln. "We had a fair run, and my hofse was full of • running, ' > he said. "We came from afair way back, but he finished on well. I had to kick hira up about halfway up the straight. ' ' The boy's father, Mr Frederick Gilchrist, of Onehunga, was a joekey for some years, before he became a traine'r at Ellerslie in 1917. His most successful horses wero Spa'nner, which was later sold for £3008, and tbe hurdler Tlirace. He is now Ihe" trainer of Kelly, .Fleetwind and others.