SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1921, Page 8

SPORTING.

TROTTING.

NEW BRIGHTON MEETING.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, April 30. The New Brighton Trotting Club’s autumn meeting was concluded to-day In excellent weather. The totalis.? tor Investments were £42,560 10s, making £73,486 for the meeting. compared with £62,447 10s last year. Results

SECOND AMATEUR HANDICAP.—Lady Joan (W. J. Morland) 1, Edward Harw.'n 2, Tlranna 3. Also started: Melisande, Dillon Shine, Final Leave, Golden Peter, Wayslide, Miss Babs, Serpent, Imperial Boy, Little Charm, Nursery Maid, Tydol, Gwen Child, Florrie Audubon, Bundook, Prince Lyons. Won by two lengths, the same distance between second and third. Time, 3min. 41% sec.

BEXLEY HANDICAP.—Marvin Junior (D. Sutherland) 1, Marietta 2, Theseus 3. Also started: Navarre, Wahinepai, Eruption, Succory, Te Kulti. Won by twelve lengths, ten lengths between second and third. Time, 4min. 50sec.

NEW BRIGHTON HANDICAP.—Trooper Dillon (O. E. Hooper) 1, Sympathy 2, Matchlight 3. Also started: Beta Peter, Asturio, Vice-Admiral, Rangitata Lass, Agathos, Capriccio, Whispering Willie, Paul Dufault, Ouimet, Nancy Stair. Won by two lengths, one length between second and third. Time, 4min. 36sec.

NEW ZEALAND DERBY STAKES —Childe Pointer (D. Warren) 1, Taraire 2, Copa de Ora Junior 3. The only starters. Won by two lengths, four lengths between second and third. Time, 3min. 26sec.

BROOKLYN HANDlCAP.—Homeleigh Dick (M. B. Edwards) 1, Harold Child 2, Marietta 3. Also started: Whisht, Belmont Chimes, Theseus, Olive L, Gay Wilkes. Won by a neck, two lengths between second and third. Time, 4min. 38 2-ssec.

TELEGRAPH HANDICAP.—Nita Bell (E. Young) 1, Letitia 2, Idris 3. Also started: Lady Swithin, Legacy, Gold Queen, Greta, Admiral Hal, Onyx, Makomako, Prince Huon, Thea. Won by six lengths, eight lengths between second and third. TimeJ 2min. 15sec.

FLYING HANDICAP.—WiIIie Lincoln (J. N. Clarke) 1, 'Gleaming 2, Rangitata Lass 3. Also started: Paul Dufault, Emperor, Birdwood, Sympathy, Silver Nut, Reta Peter, Mintson, Maoriland, Legacy. Won by two lengths, a length between second and third. Time, 2min. 45 4-ssec. '

FINAL HANDICAP.—The Dingo (A. -Butterfield) 1, Dora Derby 2, Glen Mavis 3. Also started: Our Chum, Xavier, Lochnagar, Huon Patch, Soprano, King Karri, Idris, Rorke’s Drift, Ben Dillon, Sir Henry, Robert Dillon, Bridgewood, Golden Pippin, Quincey Maid, Hickorywood. Won by half a length, three lengths between second and third. Time, £min. 14 2-ssec.

ENGLISH TURF.

THE TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.

By Telegraph.—-Press Assn.—Copyright. London, April 29. At Newmarket the Two Thousand Guineas resulted: Lord Astor’s Cralganeran 1, Lemonora 2, Humorist 3. The One Thousand Guineas resulted:’ Bettina 1, Petrea 2, Pompadour 3. Brennan rode Craiganeran. Humorist was favorite. Won by three-quarters of a length. Alan Breck was fourth. Twenty-six started. In the One Thousand Guineas Bellhouse rode the winner. Carslake rode Petrea and Brennan Pompadour. Bettina won easily.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

Received April 30, 5.10 p.m.

London, April 29 As the result of the Two Thousand Guineas, Alan Breck’s prospects in the Derby are viewed in a favorable light. Although backward in condition he made a resolute challenge and finished a close fourth tn a most sensational finish. Humourist and Alan Breck ’ appeared to have the race between them, when Craiganeran and Lemonort, both trained by Taylor, shot up the hill and took charge. Monarch, who has been regarded cs a non-stayer since his Middle Park Plate victory, shaped poorly, despite a favorable start. Craiganeron started twice as a two-year-old without winning. Re has been supported'for the Derby.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn

NEW ZEALAND’S GREATEST HORSEMAN.

HECTOR GRAY’S DEPARTURE. /

(By "Carbine” m Wellington Times.) Hector Gray, New Zealand's leading jockey, left Wellington for England on Wednesday night. Gray is recognised as the greatest horseman of modern times in New Zealand and Australia, and all the old hands who are not "married” to some rider of their day, confess they have never seen his equal. Here and there you find a has-been who tells you Gray reminds him of So-and-So, and must be almost as good. All the evidence one can gather goes to show you that So-and-So should never be mentioned in the same breath as Gray.

Gray always has been known as the man who could not be interviewed. That is quite a wrong idea. The little man from Taranaki is very easy to approach, but he has no liking for talking about his achievements. A mutual friend, who had gone to the trouble of getting out a record of Gray’s riding career, supplied me with a copy of it yesterday. The figures, cold as they are, would, give even a non-racing man an idea of the success which has attended Gray’s efforts in the saddle.

Iu the course of an Interview yesterday, Gray spoke interestingly of his career, and gave an opinion -on one or two points that to tine mind of the racing public are somewhat in doubt. He began his course of study for the saddle with the Taranaki sportsman, Dr. Paget, but in a few months he found himself in the stable of one of New Zealand's oldest trainers, Jervis George, known throughout both islands as the preparer of many good winners.

Gray began race-riding in 1902. The wiry, competent soon broiu(lit himself under notice. His second mount ran third. His fourth mount got second, and his elgth tenth and thirteenth rides were winners. In his first season he hsd nineteen rides and three were winners.

"Which is the best horse you have rid den?”

"Sasanof.ls the best,” was the answer. "He has proved himself a great horse from five furlongs up to two miles.”

The two-year-old premiership being a matter of doubt and controversy, Gray was asked his opinion. Mermin, he said, was the best two-year-old of the season, and he accounted for his R-ccarton defeat by saying that he must have got cast in his box, or met with some other such mishap.

The greatness of Gray on the New Zealand turf may be gauged from two things. One is that all precedent was cast aside at Hastings when Mr. W. G. Stead got the permission of the club president and the stewards to arrange a farewell for him in the steward’s rooms. The other is that he the first jockey who ever left these shores with a retainer to ride for three .big owners in England.

Gray has a remarkable percentage of wins. Over his whole career it is better than one in five. Actually it is 561 wins out of 2597 rides. In less than half his rides has he been unplaced. He is a good man over all distances, and seems to do as well in short events as in long distance races. Always physically fit and very keen on his work, he is particularly energetic at riding track work, and one of his great values to owners always has been his wonderful judgment on a working gallop. Most of those who care to do so could tell of how Gray, dismounting from a trial, has told them that the horse they favored had no chance, or that something that they little suspected wculd not get beaten. How often h.’s judgement was right trainers sud owners ueed no reminding shout. Only

a few weeks ago a leading trainer mentioned that he thought Gray's judgment was, at the very least, as great as his riding ability.

Gray goes to scale at 8 stone, but for a special engagement last Christmas he got. down to 7.10. It was a winning ride. The greatest weight he has ridden is 12.1, at. Auckland, some years ago, at a meeting at which he won the big welter on every one of the three days. Some years ago Gray’s fame spread to Australia, and he was offered engagements there. He was taken off tire steamer and put into the saddle to ride Wallaloo in the Essendon Stakes at Newmarket. In a gruelling mile-and-a-half race he got Wallaloo home by a head, and as the horse started at a long price, the win was a big one for the stable. That was on a Saturday, and on the Monday he rode the winner of the Australian Cup. In New Zealand Gray has won the following cups : —Auckland Pony, Avondale, Awapuni (twi.ee), Egmont (twice), Glaxo, Hawera, Marlborough, Opunake, Ruakura, Hawke’s Bay, Prince of Wales, Auckland Summer (tyric£), Timaru Summer, Te Arola, Taranaki (twice), Trentham Gold, Stead (twice), Whangarei, Wafroa, Woodville, Wellington (twice). New Zealand (three times) ; 34) in all. Weight-for-agcs won in New Zealand:— Avondale Guineas, Avondale Stakes, Awapuni Gold (twice), Auckland Plate (twice), Ch'ampLon Plate (three times), Egmont Stakes, Islington Plate (twice), Jackson Stakes, Great Northern Foal Stakes (three times), Hastings Stakes (twice), Great Northern Derby, New Zealand Derby (twice). New Zealand St Leger, Great Northern Oaks, New Zealand Oaks, Manawatu Stages, Manawatp Sires’ Produce Stakes (twice), Middle Park Plate, Royal Stakes (four times), Stead Cup (twice), Trenthaan Gold Cup, Taranaki Stakes, Waterloo Stakes (Twice), Welcome Stakes (C.J.C), Wellesley Stakes, Wanganui Guineas, Welcome Stakes (Auckland), Canterbury Cup, Hawke’s Bay Guineas, Egmont Stakes; 45 In all. Besides the foregoing, he has won the A.R.C. Handicap, of one mile and a half, on four different occasions, and the Thompson Handicap. of one mile, on three occasions. On nineteen different occasions Gray has done,the "hattrick.” For several seasons Cray resided in Australia. No record-of his rides there .Is available, but his most 'important winning ride was in the Australian Cup. His riding weight is eight stone. The summary of his rides follow: Amount won for Un- o.wners. Season. Isis. 2nds. 3rds. placed. £ 1902- .... 3 22 11 215 1903- .... 9 13 10 49 ■ 885 1904- .... 20 20 15 92 2,470 1905- .... 23 ' 18 19 65 1906- .... 37 28 22 107 4,010 1907- . ...\ 28 23 11 51 2,955 1909- .... 60 39 58 147 10,407 1910- .... 79 48 39 133 17,129 1911- .... 21 22 16 39 4,520 1913-I'4-.... 32 27 21 59 8,728 1917- .... 61. 42 30 128 15,138 1918- .... S2 08 42 149 21,779 1919- .... 47 37 29 99 18,335 1920- .... 55 47 44 113 25,000 561 434 358 1242 135,500 Total number of rides 2597.