Jockeys Wanted Gore Races Cancelled

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 4

Jockeys Wanted Gore Races Cancelled

(New Zealand Press Association)

GORE, Feb. 4. Strike action by jockeys at the Kumara Jockey Club’s meeting four weeks earlier was nearly repeated on the opening day of the Gore Racing Club’s summr fixture yesterday. Trouble was averted however, and the meeting proceeded as scheduled.

Heavy rain overnight and again in the morning did not soak into the track, which, with a hard surface and wet grass, became slippery A deputation of jockeys headed by New Zealand's leading horseman, R. J Skelton, approached the stipendiary steward (Mr H. W. Brawn) after the second race and requested that the rest of the programme be cancelled. The jockeys said thy were unanimous that the track was treacherous and could result in a serious accident.

All the jockeys agreed that the track was dangerous, so much so that Skelton later described it as the worst he had ever ridden on. After some discussion with the delegation, the judicial committee and Mr Brawn adjourned to the jockey’s room and asked the riders for their opinions. In the interval most of the jockeys

had changed their minds and told Mr Brawn they would continue to ride

"After the running of the Trial Stakes a deputation was received from the jockeys stating that they did not, as a body, wish to continue riding as they considered the going too dangerous and treacherous. After the jockeys room had been cleared of all except licensed riders and after they had been reasoned with, they announced they would continue

i In the first five races there were four eras) es because of • the slippery surface Extra Piece slipped three furtonga from home in the Ferndale • Senior Hack, but made a miraculous recovery without I actually tailing. None of the jockeys in the incidents was seriously in- , jured, the worst being a sprained ankh received by the apprentice, P J. Denton, w-ho crashed with Porangi Girl hi the Longford Plate. Other horses to fall were Julietta (D. C. Thomson >, who fell during her preliminary in the Trial Stakes, Sen <P. Graham), and Cotton Blaze (K. D. Martin) in the first furlong of the same race, and Canon (J. M. Cappie) in the Gore Cup. >