A BORN RIDER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 871, 15 January 1930, Page 12

A BORN RIDER

J. MUNRO’S CAREER ON NEARLY 400 WINNERS J. Munro. hero of jockeydom, and winner of 332 races, including Australia’s greatest events, has sailed for Germany. Most skilled of Australian riders in the great distance handicaps, his services have been in keen demand for many years, and he has earned big money. But Germany has offered a greater retainer, and a more attractive financial proposition, and so he goes abroad to test this European proposition. . His 332 Wins Jimmy Munro has been riding a little over seven years for his 332 wins. It took 1,773 mounts in races to yield that number of successes. When he was 16 years old, he struck immediate success for he was a natural-born horseman, and at that tender age, as an apprentice, began earning an income amounting to over £I,OOO a year. In the intervening seven years he has earned an aggregate of over £II,OOO in percentages from rides alone, and probably much more has come his way in gifts for the notable successes of his career in the big betting handicaps. For instance, he has won two Melbourne Cups on Windbag and Statesman, a Sydney Clip (Prince Charles), Metropolitan (Loquacious), three Epsom (Boaster 1, and Amounis 2); a Newmarket (Quintus), Doncaster (Valicare), a Cantala (Amounis), and Williamstown Cup (Amounis). Such victories yield gifts over and above percentages that must be paid under the rules. Good Family Boy But Jimmy Munro has been a good family boy. For some years he has supported his people. lie has begrudged mother, brothers and sisters nothing, and throughout Randwick he is known as a model son. Due to arrive in Germany early in February, he has a month to ride work and become fit for the commencement of the racing season in Germany in March. He will be back in Australia at the end of 1930. Then, if German conditions appeal, he will renew his engagement, and take some of the family back with him, perhaps to settle in Europe as other prominent Australian jockeys have done, notably Brownie Carslake and Frank Bullock He is the ideal rider for European and English conditions, and those who know his capacity are confident that he will succeed abroad. A pity that Australia is losing such a good horseman.