RACING W. D. Skelton’s 700th Win Close At Hand

Press, Volume C, Issue 29504, 4 May 1961, Page 4

RACING W. D. Skelton’s 700th Win Close At Hand

Official records credit jockey W. D. Skelton with a record of 697 wins, a total amassed in less than 14 years. But Skelton has reason to believe he will have reached the 700mark if he rides a winner at Woodville on Saturday. Records meticulously kept by Mrs Skelton for her husband since their marriage suggest that the Oamaru jockey rode 67 winners and not 66, as credited, in 1956-57, and 45, not 44, in 1955-56.

If, as could be proved, the official figures are two short of the correct total, Skelton has ridden 696 winners in New Zealand. He has also had three wins in Australia. Skelton will ride four horses from the Levin stable of his father-in-law, F. C. Pratt, at Levin mi Saturday. He will ride National in the May Handicap only if he can get down to 7-7—the horse has 7-o—but he will definitely ride Foglia d’Oro. Red Anthony, and French Tray. Skelton rode his first winner in October, 1947. He was on Boolamskee when that versatile Baffles gelding deadheated with Lord Dundonald in the Dunedin Jockey Club's Grandstand Handicap, the day Kartikeya beat Excellency on a heavy track in the Dunedin Guineas. Four Times Skelton has been champion jockey four times and achieved the hat-trick leading up to last season, when he finished fourth behind his brother, R. J. Skelton. W. A. Smith, and J. R. Dowling. His best individual total was in 1957-58 when he rode 89 winners. He had ridden 09 winners so far this season and is only three short of his secondbeat season’s tally so far. He has ridden 69 winners 67 and again in 1958-59. He was champion jockey for the first time in 1952-53 with 64 wins. The Orari trainer P. H. C. Stock, will saddle three runners in the Brackenfield Hurdles at Amberley on Saturday. There is a field of eight for the race, which replaces a high-weight on the Amberley programme. The Stock stable will be represented by Arctic Sun, Napoleon Bonaparte, and Gaza. Napoleon Bonaparte will be

ridden by the Washdyke jockey, A. Cowan. This was a successful combination in the hack steeplechase on the first day of the Riverton Easter meeting. Mr A. Mitchell's Beau Leon gelding was much too good for the others in that race, but was beaten into third on a heavy track on the second day of the meeting. Once As Hurdler Napoleon Bonaparte has raced as a hurdler, this year. He failed in the hurdle race at Wingatui on February 25. but should be more seasoned for his race at Amberley, and will probably find the class weaker. Ten-year-old Arctic Sun, the veteran of the hurdles field at Amberley, will be ridden by the stable appren-

tice, L. D. Stock, who is having restricted chances on the flat because of increasing weight. Arctic Sun was twice placed over country at Riverton at Easter. In this third start for the meeting he was runner-up to No Offence, which had also won the Great Western Steeplechase on the first day of the meeting. The Stock stable will be represented by the youngest as well as the oldest hurdles runner. Gaza, one of the novice Jumpers in the field, is five. He won the Weston Maiden Handicap at Oamaru early in January, but has done nothing since to suggest he would amount to much on the flat. E. B. Skelton will ride this Defaulter gelding at Amberley.