UNWARRANTED HOSTILITY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 458, 13 September 1928, Page 6

UNWARRANTED HOSTILITY

The disagreement evident in the above comments cabled from Sydney ai'Q particularly illuminating. The writer quoted as defining AlcCarten’s defence “a paltry excuse” writes for a. syndicate of newspapers, whose hostility to the other journal quoted (in support of the jockey) it does not bother to conceal.

In this connection it is interesting to recall that in a recent issue of “Smith’s Weekly,” in the turf section, there appeared an article under the following headings: “No Locals Need Apply Is N.Z. Slogan’—Bring Their Own Jockeys and Some Are Atrocious Horsemen—Suspicion Leads to Boycott.’ This page is conducted by Air. C. J. Graves, and in the light of subsequent events it is -peculiarly appropriate at this juncture, to reproduce the article printed under the headings quoted: The One-Sided View “The heads of racing in Sydney have had much to say lately about New Zealandex*s and their jockeys. They don’t approve of the brand of horsemanship from across the Tasman, and certainly there has been nothing to inspire confidence in some of the exhibitions witnessed lately. “But apparently New Zealand owners and trainers don’t approve of our jockeys. “While striving for the rich stakes that Sydney offers in the way of racing they nevertheless nail up the sign over their stable doors, ‘No Sydney jockeys need apply.’ “Alost New Zealand trainers are adamant about the boys they will engage. “Only one in recent years has employed local talent. “Others bring their own, at great expense, and in face of the pronounced disadvantage that visitors labour under in strange surroundings.

“One of them, asked the reason, doubted the likelihood of his ‘getting a go’ with his horses if he employed local riders. So he brought his own to make sure of an honest try. And that is probably the reason why jockeys come, with most of the visitors from New Zealand. Inferior Riders “The majority of them are inferior. Some give atrocious displays. In Sydney they would hardly get a living riding track work, and the fact that some of them rank fairly high in New Zealand suggests that the standard there is below that of Australia, -where keener* competition leads to the survival of the fittest, and none but the fittest being employed for the remunerative and the classic engagements of the turf. “Limerick’s connections rely upon AI. McCai’ten to do the heavyweight riding when a team is brought to Australia. He first visited Sydney with the stable, and settling here has been employed ever since to do most of tile important heavyweight riding.

“In the same way George Young came with Gloaming, made a reputation, and settled here. “Young’s riding met with much criticism at various times, but perhaps the test was his .unqualified success. At one time he was a veritable weight-for-age wizard. Though his seat might have a little unsightly, it was the fact that he had good balance and kept his head working in races that enabled him to climb up among the prominent horsemen here. *

“He won most of Australia’s biggest races, the Epsom on Black Adder, A.J.C. Derby on Cupidon, Caulfield Cup on Purser, Victoria Derby on Spearfelt, the Australian 1 Cup on Pilliewinkie. He even got the winning mount for a Alelbourne Cup, after having been engaged for Spearfelt but standing down for H. Cairns. “Young, by the way, intends taking up training. AlcCarten and Young made good from the time they came to Australia, and AlcCarten is still a horseman who claims a lot of good mounts and does well. Races Thrown Away “But there is little doubt that the fear of local talent and inferiority of their own jockeys cost visiting New Zealanders many triumphs. The inference is that theer must be a lot of suspicion among men who come from the countries where the totalisator rules racing. It is inbred. ' One can imagine them putting up on their stable doors when they come to Sydney with their teams, ‘No Sydney jockeys need apply.’ “And rarely does one get a mount. On one of these good New Zealanders that ran recently, overweight was actually put up on a three-year-old already carrying nearly a stone over weight-for-age in open company! And the jockey who' had the mount was a prominent rider from New Zealand, but one who, it must be said, has no art, little skill, and relies only upon a ‘bullocky’ force to di*ive home the horses that, under his unskilled guidance, are good enough to win.

“There are a few horses' among the recently arrived New Zealanders in Sydney who would shine tP considerable advantage in clever hands. “But it is difficult to guage form from the way some of them are ridden. It is unfortunate that New Zealanders who come regularly to Australia. to reap a rich harvest from the turf in bets and prize money put so little faith in the locals. Their suspicion and boycott, in fact, are.i'eally ap affront. ‘“Sopie day New Zealand will breed or rear jockeys as good as the horses that come from the Dominion. Then Australia will have to look to its laurels. In the meantime it is galling to see races thrown away, not because the horstfs are lacking £ut because the jockeys are not good enough to get the best out of them.”