JOCKEY’S RETAINERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1052, 16 August 1930, Page 12

JOCKEY’S RETAINERS

UNKNOWN IN AUSTRALIA DIFFERENCE IN RIDING FEES Tho retainer recently signed by H Gray to do 'the riding for the Jefferd stable gives a Sydney writer the opportunity of stressing the fact that retainers are now almost unknown in Australia. He says: Few Australian owners nowadays go to the trouble of retaining jockeys to ride for their stables. Instead of a written agreement, there is an understanding between trainer and jockey that is considered quite sufficient. However, in New Zealand, T. Green "is retained by Mr. G. D. Greenwood, and next season H. Gray is to ride for J. H. Jefferd’s stable. A recent Dominion paper stated that Gray had already signed the contract. Old Partnership Broken For years Roy Reed, who won tho Melbourne Cup and other races on Nightmarch, has been first jockey for J. H. Jefferd’s stable, and rode that trainer’s horses, Rapine, Star Stranger, and others on their numerous visits to Australia. Papsibly the reason for the break is Reed’s long absence in Australia, as Nightmarch will arrive early next month, and it is unlikely that he will return to New Zealand until the end of November. As he is almost certain to be a visitor to Australia for the autumn meetings, and Reed will be his rider, it will be seen that the jockey will not have much opportunity of following his calling in his homeland. Happy Association Reed will probably regret his break with Mr. A. B. Williams, and Jefferd, as he has been associated with numerous important winners in the black and white colours, but being a business man he on doubt realises that he has a much better opportunity of making money in riding Nightmarch. Should that great horse win one of tho important events of the Spring. Reed’s percentage and perks would probably amount to more than he would receive in six months’ riding in New Zealand. McCarten once told me that if a jockey had the luck to get a good horse to ride in Australia it was possible to make more money at one important meeting than in a year in New Zealand. Money Talks He instanced this by stating that he got more for winning the Sires Produce Stakes and Ascot Vale Stakes on Royal Feast at Flemington than he earned ’ for winning the New Zealand Cup and seven or eight other races at an important gathering in the Dominion. He did not mean to epnvey that New Zealand owners were mean, the reason being that the betting facilities were so much greater in Australia than In New Zealand, which meant more money for the winning jockey. Hector Gray is banished from Australia. He has tried severa l times to obtain a licence from the A.JC., but for certain reasons which they consider sufficient, Gray has been refused He is a great rider, and there is no question that he would do well in Australia. However, he was mixed up in the pulling of Wallalo at Hawkesbury years ago and was punished Since that time Gray has not been persona* grata with the powers that be in Sydney.