DARBY MUNRO'S SUCCESSFUL RETURNTO SADDLE: FIRST RIDE A WINNER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 187, 9 August 1941, Page 5 (Supplement)

DARBY MUNRO'S SUCCESSFUL RETURNTO SADDLE: FIRST RIDE A WINNER

THOUSANDS of racegoers lined the fence and cheered Darby Munro when he resumed riding at Moorefield last Saturday. The ovation given him when he won first up on Fearless in the Carlton Mile was the greatest heard in a quarter of a century. When Munro went to the lead on Fearless at the turn there were shouts of "Come on, 'Darb.' " It was the old cry. Under suspension Munro had been out of the saddle since February 7. Sitting tight in perfect sympathy with his mount, Munro took no risks. He sent Fearless home at top speed and he won by an unnecessary three lengths. The crowd cheered for three minutes after the race. When he had weighed in and returned to the jockeys' room to cool down Munro said:-— "I am not case-hardened. It gave me a great thrill. "I could hear a roar as I came past the Leger. It made me go flat out. I wanted to please those people

[ " if they were cheering me, because I r realised they were telling me I had r come back. ' "That's why I went on to win by three lengths, although I knew there i was no danger. ; "Fearless, sensed something un- * usual, too. and went right on as fast c as he could travel. "But I was dead anxious to prove i to the crowd that I would come j ; back." , Munro's twinkling eyes sparkled , as he said, "and now I know I HAVE ( come back." i Before he rode out of the enclo- ! sure to contest his first race on , Fearless 10,000 people had left the , .betting rings to await his coming. r j And as he rode down the straight 1 ■ for his preliminary canter there was , ■ a spontaneous burst which lasted , I j two minutes, states the "Daily Tele- , > 1 graph." "Good on you. Darby. We'll win > some money from the books now," one called. . Others just cheered. L Munro smiled at the crowd, and j ;• saluted with his whip.

Mac Sawyer, owner-trainer of j Fearless, said: "I am glad that it j was my horse that brought Darby 1 back. "I have been unlucky in recent races, including the Grafton Cup. ; "So I arranged -with Darby to toFearless right out. , '"He needs a special kind of riding which won't accept 'no' for an 1 answer. ; "That's Darby. He won't let them get beaten." Mr. Claude .1. Moore, com mi t teeman, of Moorefield. said there were 14.000 at Moorefield on Saturday. Of j these 12.000 paid at the turnstiles. | This is far above the average, he said. "And 1 think Darby Munro is j such an acquisition to racing that I ! brieve it increased our attendance to-day. and will continue to bring more people to the races." Munro was beaten into third place on Broadcaster in the first Flying Welter. His mount did not have the stamina to run out the six furlongs at his first race in the year. ( Munro put up his best performance of the day in winning the ( second Flying Welter on Wimble- j don. trained by his brother. Jack< Munro. i I