“BOOMPS A DAISY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 December 1939, Page 11

“BOOMPS A DAISY”

JOCKEYS TRY OUT TROTTERS. It was Boomps-a-Daisy, and plenty of boomps, for A.J.C. jockeys who rode in a trotting race at the Showground the other night. Some of them will be standing up to eat their dinner today. When their mounts got out of the trotting stride, and broke into an impromptu gallop, the saddles hit them so hard that they thought they would fly over the top of the Suttor Stand. The winner .... Maurice McCarten on Dainty Don. “And how did they think they could beat me?” asked Maurice after the race. “Have a look at my colours. I wore this jacket on Spear Chief when i he beat Ajax at Rosehill." McCarten went "up in the air" in the first round, but soon had his mount in his stride, and settled down to ride as seriously as thought a Melbourne Cup was at stake. He won in the last few strides from the “hot favourite" Rex Lass, ridden by Jack Coutts, and. collected another gold-mounted whip. "And Coutts did a bit of cheating on the home bend," said McCarten. “It was just as well the stewards weren't there." “Now, don't be hard on. me. Maurice,” said Coutts. “1 didn't get really desperate. My old mare wouldn't have broken, but yours might have if I had given you a decent sort of bump."

Onlookers contributed to the humour of the race by giving advice to the riders when they were doing their preliminaries. and the announcer suggested that Chris Rokkjer might have backed Huon Pronto at starting price in Java and Tibet. Where's Ted McMcnamin?” yelled another enthusiast. "Il' he's not riding I won't have a bet." Andy Knox could not fill a place on Louis Desire, but without a horse he gave an impromptu exhibition over a couple of hurdles, until he fell at the last. He went home with a grazed pastern —or something.