A VETERAN OF THE TURF

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12177, 25 April 1905, Page 9

A VETERAN OF THE TURF

THE LATE MR R. REAY. Just on the eve of the Autumn Meeting of the Canterbury Jockey Club, ono who was so prominently associated with early racing in the Province of Canterbury, and indeed with the early racing of New Zealand, pa-sued away. Mr Robert Reay, or Bob Reay as he was familiarly called, died at his residence. Worcester street, Christchurch, on Easter Sunday. Mr Reay had been in delicate health for some little time past, but few expected that the veteran sportsman was so near his end. Bob Reay was associated with Mr Henry Redwood, the " Father of the New Zealand Turf," Mr H. Stafford, who owned so many of the old-time good horses, Hon. W. Robinson, Mr Pat Campbell, who rode in many a race against Reay, and learned a great deal through doing so, Mr W. C. Webb, of the Bush Inn, Riccarton, Mr S. Nosworthy, Mr H. Lance, Mr R. Richardson, and with Mr M. Studhblme. It was on tho latter"*, horse, Knottingley, that Reay won the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap in December 1870—his first and only successful ride in the race now known as the New Zealand Cup. Reay won tho first Canterbury Derby on Mr W. Harris's Ada in 1860. Other Derby winners he steered were Mr Hunter's Defamation in 1871, Mr Nosworthy's Calumny in 1872, Mr Pat Campbell's Tadmor in 1874, the same owner's Daniel O'Rourke in the following year, and Mr H. Westmacott's The Dauphin in 1881. Among other important races won by Reay's mounts were the Canterbury Cup by Knottingley in 1868, the same race on his own horse Templeton in 1878, the C.J.C. Midsummer Handicap on Mr Robinson's Cheviot in 1884, tne Canterbury Champagne Stakes on Mr Webb's Danebury in 1876—his only success in this race—the Great Northern Derby in 1877 on Danebury, then his own property, the Wellington Cup in 1879, on his own mare Maritana. the D.J.C. Handicap in 18G3, on Mr H. Stafford's Ultima, and the sami event on Templeton in 1878. He al-to steered Templeton to victory in the Dunedin Cup of that year, and in 1877 his horse Tadmor, ridden by McHugh, was successful in the Dunedin Birthday Handicap. In the latter year Tommy Dodd ran in his colours, and deadheated with Black Eagle for the Greymouth Jockey Club Metropolitan Handicap. Maritana, in addition to her Wellington Cup, won the Rangitikei Cup for Reay, who owned Castaway when he won the Timaru Cup in 1875. Reay waa on Tommy Dodd when he won this race next year in Mr Pat Campbell's colours. : The late Mr Reay was associated with many other notable successes, but of recent years he had taken no active part in Turf pursuits.