THE WOOTTON TOUCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 16, 20 January 1939, Page 12

THE WOOTTON TOUCH.

FAMOUS FAMILY STIIX IN THE NEWS. The veteran sportsman, Mr. Richard Wnot ton, head of the one-time famous Wont ton racing family. won tbe Juvenile Handicap at Moorefiebl (Sydney) recently with a very smart fillv named Fly, who was ridden by Wootton's apprentice. Fly was having her first run. and her young rider (H. R. Darke) scored his first win. Mr. Wootton, who lias won big races in England. South Africa and Australia, is interested in the lad's future. His own son. Frank, was one of the world's best jockeys before (he war. and headed the English riding list for four years as an apprentice, a feat never accomplished before or since. Another son. Stanley, earned renown as a horseman in England, and. later, became one of the leading trainers in the Old Country. Nowadays he trains a few of his own horses as a hobby, and. in between whiles, takes his place 011 the Bench as a magistrate. Wootton, senior, was always singularly successful with apprentices, and it seems as though Darke will not be the exception. Confident of Ability. New apprentices are rarely trusted on betting propositions in short sprints, especially on two-year-olds. But Mr. Wootton showed his confidence in young Darke by investing £50 on Fly. Never having raced before, Fly was a little troubled at the sight of a 'big field lined up at the tapes, and backed away a few times. But she jumped smartly to the front, and ran right away to a six-lengths victory, equalling the course record of 1.3 for five furlongs.