A REAL OLD-TIMER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 29, 28 October 1937, Page 15

A REAL OLD-TIMER

Mr. Mat. Goodger's 90th Birthday SUCCESS AS TRAINER (By "Hermit.") To patrons and lovers of -racing memories of old-timers, be they, owners, trainers, jockeys or horses, cling with a tenacity which hridges the wide span of the years. And there is perhaps no occupation in which one meets so many old-timers as in connection with racing. Jockeys and trainers seein to pos- . sess a taJlisman which keeps them forever young, and enabies them to reach an age far beyond the usualiy allotted span, and to keep as green as the turf, they have so often, ridden over,' their memories of events of years long gone by. I ara. reminded of raany almost forgotten names connected with racing by the receipt of a very newsy letter with snapshot photographs of one of- the Dominion 's oldest, if not its oldest trainer, Mr Mat. Goodger, now of Hastings. On Friday, October 22, Mr Goodger celebrated his ninetieth birthday, and as he is still hale and hearty, though not a3 spry as in his' youthful daye^ he may yet reach the century mark. "Hermit's" hope is that he will do so. Mat. Goodger was born in the Auck-_ land Islands, his mother being the only white woman there. Hi» father was there with the Enderby's (explorers), but after three years there went to England, returning to New Zealand m 1858, and landing at Porfc Lyttelton. Mat. went into the racing stables of Mr H. R. Lance in 1863, at Ilam, Canterbury, for whom Mr W. C. Webb wa3 trainer. Mr Lance 's colours wero carried by a number of good horses and his name appeare among the list of winners of most of the important racing events of those early days. Whon Mr Lance sold out, Mr Webb set up as a public trainer, Goodger xemaining with him until 1871. He remembers riding in the first two-year-old race to be run in New Zealand, whieh he won.' The race was called tbe Railway Plate, four furlongs, for two-year-olds and upwards. The liorse he rode was called Bobbie Burns, by Golden Grape (imp.; — Annie Laurie, which he rode at 5st. 101b. The race was for a lOOsovs. stake, apd at the finish the owner, Mr Douglas, presented Goodger with the whole of the stake. Just faney the pride of a youngster in taking lOOsovs. home to his mother. Not even a juvenile film star to-day could have felt a greater joy. A real live wire in those days, without any particular leaning towards poetry, Goodger had a great liking for a horse called Poet on whom he won a lot of races. During 1868 and 1S69. Goodger rode many winners for the W. C. Webb stable, including the New Zealand Cup and the Galatea Cup (run during tho visit of the Duke of Edinburgk to New Zealand), and several other cups. When Mr Goodger jvas

given Liberator to train, the game eon of Betrayer — Diana had not shown any form worth epeaking . of, and was regarded as just a good hack. Mr Goodger developed him into a Cup winner, and taught him &lso to jumg." Mr Goodger also rode the hurdle horses himself when schooling them. He went to England in 1872, returning, in 1874. Dtiring his visit to the Old COuhtry he saw Doncaster win the Derby and Marie Stuart the Oaks, saw Fred Archer win the Cesarewitch and George Fordham win on Drumoyne at Goodwood. Like many old-timers he has a preference for the .bookmakere over the totalisator. After his return to New Zealand, and after he had passed Liberator on to the late Mr Patsy Butler, when the old gelding was sold to that sportsman, Mr Goodger took up the traihing of trotting horses' with which he had quite a Cousiderable measure of success, winning a number of races. He has been retired from active participation in racing of any kind for many yeare, but his burly. figure is familiar to all patrons of the Hawke's Bay Jockey Club's meeting at Hastings, and his memory is wonderfully clear and fresh for a veteran of his years. May - time continue to deal lightly -with him. *