CHEERY JACK'S A.J.C. HURDLES DEFEAT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 145, 21 June 1941, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHEERY JACK'S A.J.C. HURDLES DEFEAT

STEWARDS REPRIMAND JOCKEY FOR "ILL-JUDGED" RACE The defeat of the hot favourite. Cheery Jack, into second place in the A.J.C. Hurdles race at Randwick last Monday was questioned by the stewards, who reprimanded H, Windle for riding an ill-judged race.

> lengths in front again at the home , turn, and that break enabled him to . hold Cheery Jack off in the straight, i Stanton stated that although he • was disappointed with the result he i was satisfied that Windle's tactics were employed in good faith. Windle ■ explained that he was troubled most ; of the way to the mile post by inter- : ference from Shot Gun, and after ; blundering over the mile jump Cheery Jack was off balance, and he was unable to drive him along as the stewards apparently expected he should do. It was not until he reached the half mile that he considered Cheery Jack was stretching out again, and from there on he forced him along. Mag Mort has seldom looked better, and his condition suggested that he would be even improved bv a race or two. Hynes had him second early, and was never worse than fourth, racing around the leaders to take charge at the five furlongs. From that point on he always had the race in his keeping. Mag Mort carried 9.12, and will have 31b less in the Grand National Hurdle at Flemington, for which race he has not been penalised. Cheery Jack will meet him 31b better in the National Hurdle, and also in the steeplechase, in which Mag Mort has 9.12. Cheery Jack mav also improve, and each seems likely to play an important part in the I< lemmgton races next month.

CHEERY JACK was beaten by two lengths and a half by Mag Mort, with Xerxes two lengths away third. The time, 4.201, has onlv once been improved on, Syntax holding the race record of 4.19}, established in 1935. Cheery Jack finished very fast over the last, three furlongs after being near the lead early, hut dropping out to be last from the seven furlongs to the half mile, states the Sydney "Morning Herald." The stewards questioned H. Windle's handling of the horse. After hearing the evidence of the trainer, R. C. Stanton, and verifying the betting transactions, they accepted his explanation, but reprimanded Windle. They also reported that at the hurdle at the nine furlongs post Cheery Jack blundered and lost ground. Good Tactics By Winner's Jockey The feature of the race was the quick thinking of L. J. Hvnes, who rode the winner, Mag Mort. Hynes summed up the situation quickly as he made the turn along the back of the course, where Cheery Jack was pocketed and jumping "blind" on the inside of Shot Gun, and he raced Mag Mort to the front to get a lead of three lengths at the five furlongs. Although the lead was reduced at the half mile he was four