No Cheers When Nightmarch Won

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 816, 9 November 1929, Page 13

No Cheers When Nightmarch Won

MOONEE valley race j JOCKEY’S STRANGE ACT 'Although no report was sent to the ’ ws on the matter - stewards must e investigated Cook’s action in letang Highland through on the rails ja the course of the Cox Plato at xinnnee Valley (relates a Melbourne Respondent). They didn’t sit at a SSfal inquiry, but perhaps asked rok why he was responsible for what Smeared from the stands a question,ble piece of riding. Mollison was just clear of Night_„ch who was on the outside. HigliJlnd wus on the rails, a length and ahalf or two lengths behind Mollison. Suddenly Cook looked on his outside, nd apparently saw Xightniarch. Then ha could be seen turning the other way to that he could see Highland behind ‘““’Abruptly coming away from the rails He let Highland through, and, of course, it was worth three lengths to that horse. Reed was showing good tactics until this grossly unfair action, for in keeping right on Mollison’s heels he had Highland shut in, where ordinarily So would have to go round both to Jiake his forward move. Niglitmarch’s Heart But. of course. Cook shattered the Hew Zealand jockey's plans, and in Caking way for Highland carried fillrtitmarch wide. It nearly won Highland the race, hut Nightmarch by his great courage fvercame the disadvantage to get there £r half a neck. In the circumstances it was a fine Performance on his part. *jt is understood that Cook’s explanaeon of the incident above related was lict Mollison was lugging out all the lay from the four furlongs, and he isidn’t prevent his coming away Com the rails as he did No Cheers ft was shrewd head work on DunKs part to wait as ho did for that through, and he nearly stole the from a better horse by it. There would have been great cheerbig for Highland if ne had scored, for |e has been a popular horse in Melbourne, especially with punters and Snail backers, for he had won three tees in succession, and belongs to the Jepiilar Holt stable. Svdney men were astonished to hear r applause after Nightmarch’s win, spite its great merit. There was a dead silence that ' suggested Victorians took it as an ’ effront that he should beat their l fancy. Nightmarch was a little better than hven money favourite, but there weren’t as many investors on him as there blight have been if it had been a Sydney race. But one well-known Victorian owner who was in Sydney and jaw the excellence of his form there invested £2,000 on him. Took Umbrage Randwick trainer J. Donohoe, who h master of the Sydney apprentice, Jockey W. Cook, has taken exception to the above account of the Cox Plate, in which it was set out. that he made way for Highland to go through on the inside. The correspondent explained that Took on Mollison in allowing Highland to go through on the inside forced the favourite. Might march, further out than he should have gone otherwise.

Donohoe says that Cook announced to him immediately after the race that Mollison was lugging out all the tvay, and it was through no intent of his that Highland got through on the inside.

This might have been the case. But Mollison was not pulling out when he made the first turn in full view of the spectators on the stand. And it would be interesting to hear Cooks explanation of why he looked round several times prior to the incident related by the correspondent just » moment prior to Highland’s being pven the open sesame on the rails.