AT HIS BEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 22, 18 April 1927, Page 8

AT HIS BEST

ROY REED IN FORM LESSONS IN RACE RIDING Although the race for the jockeys’ premiership shows an apprentice in the lead, those who were present at Ellerslie on Saturday will be prepared to back the expressed opinion that Roy Reed is the Hominion’s best horseman. The Trentiham jockey was in excellent form, for his record for the afternoon showed that he had five mounts for two wins, two seconds and a fourth —quite a good percentage. Reed hopped off by riding a very judicious race on Flying Juliet in the Oaks, in which he allowed others to make the running and conserved his mount for the more trying stage of the contest. So well did this plan work out that the pace set was not over fast, and all to the liking to a filly whose stamina is open to question. How she went to the front in the straight and scored a very meritorious victory is now known. STOLE THE CHAMPAGNE? Gascony was the mount of Reed in the Champagne Stakes, and here again he almost stole the race by conveying the impression to Paganelli’s rider that he was beaten fifty yards from the post, and it must have come as an unpleasant surprise to find that this was not the case, and to see Gascony holding his own, and if anything doing it a bit better at the finish. The favourite for the Easter Handicap was nicely handled by Reed. This was Joy King, who was on more than one occasion in a bad position, only to be extricated with finesse by the rider. It was no fault of the jockey that Joy King was beaten, for he was unlucky in catching Civility at the top of her form, and as previously pointed out in these columns the Easter Handicap winner is one of the best gallopers in the country. A CLOSE FOURTH On Melissa, favourite in the two-year-old handicap event, Reed was beaten out of a place. He got the filly away best, and she was one of the trio that flashed across the line a couple of lengths behind the winner, losing second money by inches, and she was only fourth. One of Reed’s best efforts was on the top weight, Star Stranger, in the concluding event, the President’s Handicap. He reserved the Martian gelding as much as he could, and when he had no less than thirteen horses in front of him five furlongs from home his chances were anything but rosy. However he saw an opening on the inside a little later, and quick as lightning he went through, gaining several places thereby, and lying seventh at the home turn. From here he finished very strongly, but the weight was effective in preventing him getting closer than a length to a good winner in Pegaway. Roy Reed has many followers, and those that stuck to him on Saturday in his five rides would show a nice profit of 75 per cent. Yes, Reed was in great form, and his fine exhibition of riding stamped him as the Dominion’s best To watch him in action was a lesson in the art of race riding.