Phar Lap Rated The Best By “Scobie” Breasley

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29724, 18 January 1962, Page 4

Phar Lap Rated The Best By “Scobie” Breasley

(By th* London Corespondent of "The Press’’]

“I have been associated with horses all over the world—in Australia, in France, in England—but Phar Lap was the greatest I ever saw.”

This tribute to the famous New Zealandbred horse was paid by the Australian jockey, A. (“Scobie”) Breasley, whose 170 winning rides in the flat season enabled him to beat L. Piggott and take the premiership for the second time.

The 47-year-old Breasley—the only grandfather, he thinks, ever to have won the premiership—elaborated on the Phar Lap theme during an exclusive interview in his luxury home bordering Putney Heath. “I was only an apprentice in those days, but I can remember so clearly what a magnificent horse Phar Lap was. He used to fascinate me. Even to watch him walking about was an experience, because he moved like a beautiful machine.” - Breasley said he was not a millionaire. “But I’m pretty comfortable, I suppose, and if anything happened to me tomorrow my family would have nothing to worry about. "I sometimes think the public do not really know how testing riding races can be. I might have to motor 60 or 70 miles to a meeting, ride six races, and then try to drive home in London’s traffic.” Pointers To Success Breasley offered the following essentials for a successful jockey: “One: You’ve just got to be good at the start. Anticipation is everything here. You’ve simply got to go with them. “Two: Courage, or more simply, plain guts. A top jockey cannot afford to hesitate. Once you hesitate the chance is gone. “Three: Good hands. I think hands can mean just about everything. “Four: Balance. A horse can be put out of its stride if a rider is without proper balance. “Five: Ability to look after yourself and a desire to work hard. Good selfdiscipline.” He urged young riders to learn as much as possible from the good older men, and to ride with them as opportunity offered. “You can always learn something,” said Breasley. “I’m still learning.” He thinks Gordon Richards the greatest jockey of his acquaintance. "He might not have had the prettiest style in the world, but what a great rider he was! You never knew when you had him beaten. He seemed always to be able to pull something from somewhere to beat you on the post. “I think Bill Duncan was the best Australian rider I ever saw. All the determination and courage. All the guts in the world. “You’ve had some wonderful riders produced in New Zealand, too: Ashley Reed, with whom I rode for years, Maurice McCarten, and that grand fellow Keith Voitre, who was killed at Moonee Valley. Larry Wiggins was another.” The Irish-trained Ballymoss, upon which Breasley won the £40,000 Arc de Triomphe, France’s biggest race, at Longchamps, was the best stayer he ever rode. Good Sprinter “I think one of the best sprinters I’ve ridden is Skymaster on which I won the Stewards’ Cup at Goodwood —to carry nine stone and win was a good effort for a three-year-old. When I think of Australian sprinters. I can’t help recalling a filly called Zonda.”

Breasley has had three thrills in racing above all others: his first classic success in England—the 2000

Guineas, at Newmarket, on Ki Ming in 1951; the Arc de Triamphe on Ballymoss; and the Caulfield Cup for his old employer, Mr Quinlan, on Peshawar in 1953. Breasley likes to make his own rules when riding. "Too many orders can tie a jockey down,” he said. ‘‘You never know how a race is going to be run. If you’re told that a horse has certain peculiarities that is all right. “Some people may think it strange that I am not always very vigorous on a horse, but if you’re too vigorous some horses may resent it, and it

s part of a jockey’s job to sense how a horse reacts to a lick of the whip. If you go >n using the whip after a torse has shown resentment, hen it probably won’t give >f its best.” Three “Retainers" Breasley has three “refiners” in England. The first s Sir Gordon Richards, who rains for several top owners, rhe second is Mr J. Clayton, ind third are the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk. Howsver, Breasley often rides for ither stables as well. He rides comfortably at 8-2, and ran make 8-0 without any trouble. “One of my great regrets is never to have won a Melbourne Cup,” he said. “I was on Shadow King, beaten only an inch by Hall Mark, ridden by Jack O’Sullivan, in 1933. I think I could have won but for striking interference at the straight entrance. We were just flying at the finish.” Breasley does not envisage retirement from riding. Nor, when he ceases to be a jockey, will he become a trainer. “I don't think I have any intention of ever becoming a horse trainer. They have to work too hard,” he said.