Jockeys' Fees Soar To Unexpected Figures

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 684, 8 June 1929, Page 10

Jockeys' Fees Soar To Unexpected Figures

There are some owners who contend strongly that the expense of racing horses these days is such as to make it a losing game for the great majority of sportsmen. That is undoubtedly so, and it says much for the owners themselves that they are continuing in the face of heavy taxation, with but a small percentage of them showing a profit at the end of each season. One owner in particular emphasised the point that in his opinion those who were doing best out of racing today were the jockeys. This, on the surface, appeal's to be a strong statement, but what does the successful rider actually earn? It has to be remembered, of course, that to attain success means long hours, riding work in all sorts of weather, and constant travelling, so that one becomes an accomplished horseman only after a very strenuous apprenticeship. Of course there is no objection on the part of owners to paying their riders handsomely over and above their riding fees. It will surprise many and, indeed, most of those in close contact with racing, to know that at the recent Great Northern meting, three days’ racing with 21 events (excluding the Carbine Plate, restricted to amateur horsemen), jockeys’ fees paid nearly reached the' remarkable figure of £1,900! This amount was divided between 63 jockeys who were riding at Ellerslie for the three days, and works out an average of about £3O for each rider. The biggest fee exceeded £154, and the smallest, a losing mount on the flat. £3 4s. The amount in stake money paid out by the Auckland Racing Club during the three days was £14,050, and of this figure the jockeys took nearly £1,900 (some owners had to pay stiff riding fees with no return in the way of stake money). Another £702 was deducted from the stakes by the Treasury. Big Deductions Then there is the trainer’s portion when he lands his horse a winner. Take the Great Northern Hurdles as an example, the value of which to the owner of the winner was £1,250. The jockey in this case received £ll3. and with the trainer receiving, say, 10 per cent., the customary thing. another £125 would come off. In addition it is

understood that a lump sum, with all expenses paid, was necessary to secure the services of the rider for that horse. So that out of the original £1,250 the owner would do well to receive £952, and out pf this would have to como his travelling: expenses and the heavy railway costs for transporting his horse. Big wins such as a Great Northern Hurdles come only once in a while.

Heading the list of jockeys riding at the recent meeting here is F. Foster, who rode the winner of the Great Northern Steeplechase, for which he earned £126 in fees alone. Other rides (£5 Ss for a losing mount over obstacles and £3 4s for losing rides on the flat) brought his earnings up to £154. He rode only the one winner. He is followed by G. Holland, who won four races over the fences and gained fees amounting to £l4O. Then come A. E. Ellis (who rode the Great Northern Hurdles winner) £136. L. Dulieu £133 (for a dozen rides, one win and three seconds), T. Green £lOl and Jl. Olive £ 94. Green's Fine Average Green had a remarkable average, having eight rides in flat events for five wins and two thirds. Several of the popular horsemen earned fair fees without returning a dividend. For instance, Roy Reed had eight rides and was never in a place. Insofar as the riders over jumps are concerned, it cannot be said, that they are overpaid when they receive £9 per cent, for a winning ride, and £5 Ss for each losing mount, these being the fees with the good stakes offered at Ellerslie, for their calling is a dangerous one, as recent tragic events have amply shown. Then again there were several nasty accidents at the recent meeting, some of the boys getting some hard knocks. No, one would not like to see their fees cut down in any way. The remedy, perhaps, is to reduce the percentage for winning, making a more equitable distribution. On the flat the fee at Ellerslie is £3 4s, with £4 per cent, for a win. Of course at smaller meetings the fees all round are much less, for they are based on the stakes.

The following table shows the earnings of every jockey who was riding at the Great Northern meeting, the odd shillings in each case being omitted:

The riding fees payable to the others horsemen were as follow:—E. A. Keesrng £l9, J. Cammick £l9, T. Monkley £l7, W. Ruthven £l6, K. Butterworth £l6, R. Hall £l6, H. Gilmer £l6, W. Ryan £l6, W. Harris £l6, G. Spinks £l6, C. Robinson £l6, E. Manson £l3, H. Turner £l2, L. George £l2, J. Conquest £l2, A. E. Didham £lO, A. Hobson £lO, W. Liddell £lO, J. Burgess £lO, W. Rowe £lO, A. McDonald £lO, R. J. Mackie £9, P. Brady £9, C. W. France £9, K. Gill £9, A. Tinker £6, S. Bryce £6, W. Brown £6, E. Stanway £5, H. Burt £5, E. Garrett £5, H. Jones £5, E. Tuohey £3, G. Jennings £3, A. Parsons £3.

Jockey Rides 1st 2nd 3rd Riding Fees F. FOSTER 7 1 0 2 £154 G. HOLLAND .. 7 4 0 0 £140 A. E. ELLIS .. 3 1 1 0 £136 L. DU LI EU 12 1 3 0 £133 T. GREEN 8 5 0 2 £101 R. OLIVE 3 1 0 2 £94 H. DU LI EU 11 1 2 3 £77 R. SYME 7 1 1 2 £72 J. SHARKEY . . 8 0 1 0 £44 N. SYME 4 1 0 0 £43 H. ANDERTON . 4 1 0 0 £43 E. LUDLOW .. 9 1 0 0 £37 A. McCORMAC . 6 1 1 0 £36 H. WIGGINS .. 8 0 1 0 £33 G. FORBES 5 0 0 1 £31 H. GOLDFINCH 8 0 0 1 £29 C. GOULSBRO . 7 0 1 0 £28 f. McGovern . 5 0 1 1 £28 R. McTAVISH .. 6 1 0 0 £28 a. McGregor . 7 0 1 1 £27 L. WATSON 5 0 1 0 £26 R. REED 8 0 0 0 £25 L. HUSBAND . 4 0 2 0 £23 L. MANSON 7 0 1 0 £23 O. Mel NALLY .. 7 0 0 0 £22 W. H. JONES .. 8 0 0 1 £22 W. PITCON 4 0 0 0 £21 M. CONWAY . 4 0 0 1 £21