PICKING RIDERS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 118, 4 June 1937, Page 13

PICKING RIDERS

For Stable Companions C. THOMSON'S CHANCE (Special from "Early Bird.") AUCKLAND, Last Niglit. When the stable arranged for jockej P. E. Baker to ride Lord Val in the 'Waikato Hurdles and Black Mariin an the Goronation Steeplecbase at the Waikato meeting, that was quite all right and the arrangement did not lend itself to complications. However, when the owuer of Black Marlin expressed a desire to send his horse for both Great Northerns, that did cause a fiurry so far as the rider was concerned, for the t'.me has not yet anived when the one jockey ean ride two horses in the oue race — that sort of thing has not graduated from the circue ring to the race traek. As is usual in these cases, the owners of both Lord Val and Black Marlin left the matter of horsemen for their mo-unts in these events to their trainer to arrange, and he in turn offered the pick of horses to Baker, who had piloted bofch suceossfuliy at Te Rapa. It is vnderstood that Eaker has now ehosen to ride Black Marlin in the hurdle event as well as in the steeplecbase for which Lord Val was not entered, This has left the way elear for the trainer to book another jockey for Lord Val for Saturday 's race and 0. Thomson was oft'ered and aecepted the ride. No doubt the trainer would be inundated by applieants for the mount, but a wise choice has been made. Now it remains to be seen if the customary sequel will follow for Lord Val to win and prove the rider who turned thiis mount down a poor pieker. Bad Pick&rs. They do say that jockeys are the world's worst judges when it comes co picking winners, but this may be an over-statement. We hear of what proves to be the winning ride being turned down for the unsuccessful one, but perhaps the case of the jockey picking the right ride is not so well advertised. The deoision to get C. Thomson to ride Lord Val will recall the excrueiating luck this rider had in the last Great Northern Hurdles. He was on Clarion Call, who had a lead of tfie best part of a hundred yjards at the last jump; then the horse tipped the top rail and dislodged Thomson, who landed on the off-side, There was still timo for him to remount and win, but, doubtless a bit shaken by the drop and being on the wrong side to mount, plus the absence of a spectator to give him the necessary leg-up, he could not do so, and that was how he lost tbe last Great Northern Hurdles. So it is only right that this year's race should see the Awapuni horgeman making amends, for he is certainly lucky in being offered such a mount as Lord Val at almost the last ininute. May it have the usual liappy ending!