My Turf Secrets

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 56, 8 March 1941, Page 4 (Supplement)

My Turf Secrets

THE INSIDE STORY OF CRYON, GOLD SALUTE AND BEAULIVRE

By DARBY MUNRO—(No. I.) "I'm on ths outer but I'm not sqt&aling. I made a mistake and must pay the penalty. "But I've got my chin up because I believe the gentlemen of the A.J.C. committee will one day give me back my license." That's how Darby Munro, Australia's greatest jockey, feels about the Cryon case. Here's his own story of this and other recent racing sensations, as told to Geoff Hawksley, "Sunday Telegraph" turf writer. I suppose I should start this story off in the time-honoured way of telling you all about my childhood days, my famous family, and how I became a jockey. It's very interesting, even if I say so myself, but there are more important matters to discuss. I'm happy for the opportunity of being able to speak to the public. I realise only too well that the public have helped to make mc, because, after all, they pay to keep racing going. I want to .insure everybody that I am grateful. That is why I want to start My Secrets of the Turf" by dealing with three important matters over which misunderstandings seem to have arisen in the minds of the public, judging from remarks that have reached me.

HOW AND WHY HE LOST HIS LICENSE.

Fl HST there is the Cryon case, which lias cost mo. my license because I made ii lilmnlor. Secondly I want to till tlie inside story of the defeat of Keaulivre in the last Epsom. ire started a hot favourite and I ilmnfjht lie was a living certainty. Moralise lie lost I have been abused, and all sorts of stories have been circulated about, me.. Thirdly, I want to explain the mystery wliy Hold Salute didn't win the Challenge Stakes a few weeks ago. The Cryon ease has caused me more «orrv and unhappiness than anything H*e that has ever happened to me. I'm not squealing because I have lost my lii onse. I've'got my deserts for being isn.'imit. What has annoyed me, however, i« i ho unjust criticism that has been passed at rrie by people who are completely ignorant of the facts. I refer to the racing know-alls, who listen to tales and' run round blackening people's' characters jrst for the sake of talking. I hope what I have to say here will hit home. Tim is the true story of the Cryon «'«e. as far as I am concerned. i >n the morning of the Ascot meeting ("i December 18 I received a phone call ii' home asking me to come to town i ' meet a Mr. Paton. I did, and he ■ (1 mo if I thought I could win a race i • day. said I thought Cryon was my best ii < nut- and that I considered him a n •rn I. Then [ asked Mr. Paton the reason for lii"- questions. This is what he said: "1 put up to £300 and £400 on a liurso if it looks a good thing, and 111 have a good bet on Cryon if you say I lie word." t replied that I thought Cryon was the best, thing I had ridden for weeks. Mr. Paton replied, "Right. 11l put 11 ">0 on for you and £200 for myself." We agreed to the proposition, but I lost no time in getting in touch with Mr. Fred Christey, the owner, and Ted Hush, trainer of Cryon. Mr. Christey said he had no objection to Mr. Paton's punt. He explained that ho is practically a non-better and would not be able to reward me with anything above the usual percentage. I've suffered some shocks in my time, but none compared to the one when the stewards sent /or me after Cryon had finished fourth and told me that Mr. Paton had complained about my riding. He told the stewards that in his opinion I was crook. Can you beat that? Only an idiot would pull up a horse after somebody had placed £150 on it for Jiim. In my opinion Cryon was a certainty beaten. This is something the public and Mr. Paton don't know. In the race Cryon did a most peculiar tiling, something he hasn't repeated since. Ho met with slight interference near the three furlongs through Partisan falling back. This cost Cryon a couple of lengths. However, I had him balanced nicely again at the home turn, but, to my astonishment, he propped and almost camo down. Horses ahead of him were well clear, and I had a look round to see if something had got on to his heels. Hut the nearest horse was a couple of lengths away. At the time I thought Cryon was going to finish all over them, but the falter cost him the race. By the time I picked him up again Four All had it won. Right.. That is what happened, but as soon ns it became known that I had been called before the stewards all sorts of stupid rumours went the rounds. Members of the public listened to the stories and 1 have been accused of everything short of murder. To make matters worse, the inquiry was adjourned four or five times and after each hearing the rumours became worse. Helieve it or not. vindictive people actually rang nie up at home, abused me and asked me how much I got from the bookmakers for stopping Cryon. Then came the announcement that the ■•tewards had decided to tend the evidence and a recommendation to the A.J.C. Committee. People went 0./t of tUc : r way to tell me what my punishment was to Ik-, although actually this was kept a closely-guarded secret. I did not know until 1 was informed on February 7 by the chairman, Mr. Main. Now I'm out, but I'm not blaming racing officials. I got a very fair go from them, particularly the chief steward, Mr. James Donohoe.

What u fool T was not to have mentioned the Cryoti matter to him for advice. When I attended the A.J.C. committee meeting, Mr. Main told me what the stewards had recommended, and he asked me if J had anything to say. I said "No." but I impressed on him that what I had told the stewards was the truth. "Well," said Mr. Main, "I'm sorry, Munro, but we will have to revoke your license." He put it nicely, and said that both lie and the committee regretted that they had to take such drastic action. There was no lecture, and I was given no indication of how long it would bebefore I could apply to be reinstated. It was a bitter blow to me. T assure you. I was knocked bandy, to -be quite frank. I thought that I was covered by the rule of racing which says a jockey can accept a present from an outside punter providing he has the consent of the owner of the horse he u riding. Not for one moment am I criticising .the stewards, but I merely mention this to show that I acted in ignorance. I hope that what has happened to me will "Be a lesson to all jockeys. I suggest to them that if ever they receive an offer like the one Mr. Paton made to me they should go straight to the chief steward, Mr. Donohoe, for advice. They w-ill always get a fair deal from him, just as I did. By the same reasoning a punter intending to make an offer to a jockey might also see the stewards, to find how he stands in the transaction.

/"'OLD SALUTE started an odds-on favourite for the Challenge Stake? at Randwick on January 25 and finished third last. Of couive things were said by people ignorant of racing. Grandstand critics see a horse checked by his jockey, and assume he is "dead." They don't knowthat he is being saved from a fall. As far as T was concerncd, and the stable too. Gold Salute was a trier. Mr. Alan Cooper, the owner, and George Price, the trainer, thought lie was a good thing. Price reckoned he had got him back to form good enough to win this easy six. On his work 1 thought he. would win in a canter. I wonder liovv many of the grandstand critics knew that at one stage of the race I had hold of the off-side rein, pulling with all my strength to keep Gold Salute from going straight into the inside rail. This jj» what happened. He. lost about half a length at tile start, and it didn't take me long to realise that he was in a sluggish mood, Weause, when I asked him to pick up ground, he could not. or would not, go in the first furlong. He was nearly last of a strung-out field at the end of that distance. Then I thought I had him going, but he was lugging in, and I found I had to steady him off the heels of a horse in front. After that he turned very sour. He would not answer the near rein at all when I was trying to pull him out to go round the horses ahead. I was afraid that, any moment, he might get on to something's heels and go down. Instead of being able to ride him for speed, I was using my strength to keep him out of trouble.

SO much for Cryoll. Now we come to Beaulivre. I've ridden many great horses in my time, but, honestly, if ever I thought 1 there was a living certainty, it, was Beaulivre in the la9t Epsom. What a . galloper, but I'm afraid he is inclined to i be either delicate or moody. From the first time I rode him last j spring, I realised that Beaulivre was a ! made-to-order horse for the Epsom. 11 won three races on him before the big mile event. These were the Warwick Stakes, the Canterbury Stakes, and the Chelmsford Stakes. In each he won with a lot in hand. He went along well in his track trials, and I shared the optimism of the trainer, George Price, and the owner, Mr. [Harnett, that the Epsom was at his mercy. That is saying something, for there happened to be an animal by the name of High Caste in the rfct.ee, and you know What an out and out cliampion he is. Well. Beaulivre started at his right price, evens, but, to the amazement of myself and every punter on the ground, he finished tenth in a field of fifteen. When I got him to the front a little more than a furlong from home. I was saying to myself, "Well, this one will get up by the bare three or four lengths." Then suddenly 1 felt him falter, and I pulled the whip because I thought he might be loafing once he got clear. I gave him one out, and he shivered all over. I knew then that he waa gone. In the next stride he floundered, and was almost down on his nose. I thought he was going to eollapee.

Everything happened so quickly that [ forgot to throw my feet out of the irons, though I would not have been surprised if lie had gone down with ime. I grabbed him, but his head was nearly on the ground for two or three strides. I had the devil's own job to pick him up. After the race, Bill Cook, who rode Reading. advised me to buy a lottery ticket. "Darb," he said, "I thought you were a moral to go. I was right behind you, and checked Reading to pull round out of j r our way." Eight now I want to deny that I struck Beaulivre on a sensitive spot with the whip, causing the collapse. I felt him go before I touched him with it. Then, as I said before, I only used the whip because I thought he might be loafing. I have an idea that Beaulivre some- j times gets lite of this kind when going fast in a race or on the track. He had a similar attack on the training track only three weeks ago. He staggered past the post, and was very lame and distressed coming back to liis stall. No racing incident proved more definitely to mc that there are no certainties on the turf. Here was Beaulivre at his best after three prior wins, just streaking away to another victory, and yet he finished one £f the last home. Things like this and Gold Salute just go to show how fickle racing can be. Nobody who isn't in a position to know the inside facts should jump to conclusions. Lots of people thought Beaulivre wasn't trying to win. But for the collapse he'd have gained his usual 'victory by at least three lengths.

ODDS-ON FAVOURITE GAVE HIM A NIGHTMARE RIDE.

Two furlongs from home he made .such a strong (live for the inner fence that 1 was hanging on with both hands on the outside rein. Gold Salute is a very lead'-trong horse, and I lielieve now that, onlv for my efforts, he would have gone through the rail. After passing the winning post he ran straight over to the opposite side of ourse and almost hit the outer fence. He's done this lots of times before in races as well as in track gallops.

(In th® Sports Edition next Saturday I will tell you a little about myself, and how, only for an attack of measles, I would not be a Jockey to-day. I will also explode the stupid idea that there are such things as one-goer affairs, and I will have something to say on the subject of strong arm Jockeys.)

When Ted McMenamin rode him in the Victoria Derby he made a dash off the course near the mile and a quarter. When straightened tip, he ran quietly for a time, but. near the seven, he swerved off again, and was bowling straight at a steeplechase fence. There is no outside rail to the course at this point at Flemington. and McMenamin told me afterwards that there was no space on either side of the jump, so he had to pull him right up. Otherwise he would have gone straight through the steeple. I had ridden Gold Salute onlv once before the Challenge. That was the day I won a Flying Handicap on him at Victoria Turk. He went kindly enough in that raw, so I didn't know much about his funny antics when it came to riding him in the Challenge. I don't want another nightmare tide like that again, to find the only reward is to be abused.