RACING R. J. Skelton May Go To Melbourne

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29906, 21 August 1962, Page 4

RACING R. J. Skelton May Go To Melbourne

■ R. J. Skelton will be engaged to ride Diamond Head in major spring races in Victoria if she strikes form. Diamond Head is booked to travel to Australia by air in October. Her trainer, D. Dawson, is not making the trip and while she is in Melbourne she will be in the care of R. A. Tudor, who is taking Cabriere and Tara’s Pride.

Diamond Head has been nominated for the Caulfield Cup and she will probably contest rich mile races at the Melbourne Cup meeting. Skelton has told Mr C. K. Long, part-owner of Diamond Head, that his Summertime mare is a brilliant stayer of the Great Sensation type, and

would do well in races like the Caulfield Cup.

Keen To Go

Skelton says he will be available to go to Australia ‘‘any time they want me.’’ The Wingatui jockey came in for much criticism when he went to Melbourne to ride Ark Royal and other horses for Mr O. J. Barton a few years ago. He was being criticised for not winning on horses that were either out of form or only approaching it, and he returned to New Zealand before Ark Royal figured in the sensational three-way dead-heat in the Hotham Handicap. Skelton, the leading jockey for the season just ended, must rank with New Zealand’s best riders, especially for his skill on stayers. He has great judgment of pace, and horses run kindly for him to such good purpose that Skelton already has a long, impressive record in major staying and classic races.

Skelton won a double on Diamond Head at the last Wellington Cup meeting. He considered she was unlucky not to do better than fourth in the New Zealand St. Leger Stakes at Trentham in March. Diamond Head won the .Koatanui Stakes at Wanganui and the Tamatete Handicap at Awapuni in the autumn, Cabriere and Tara’s Pride, Diamond Head’s companions on the Melbourne campaign, have been brilliant young campaigners for the' Taranaki owner, Mr C. W. Ansford, in the last two seasons.

Sound Records

Cabriere, now four, won seven races in his first season, and four last season. Tara’s Pride won five of his eight starts as a two-year-old last season, and four of them were at Trentham. He was put aside after win. ning the Hopeful Stakes undei 1 9-12 at the Wellington Cup meeting. Earlier at that meeting he won the Nursery Handicap under 9-6 after a second behind the three-year-old Key in the Wellington Stakes. Cabriere won four handicap races last season. And with a bit of luck he would have come through with a better record.

Straight Time only nosed him out in the Gloaming Stakes at Trentham. and L.

K. Tinsley did not appear to ride a well-judged race in the Great Northern Derby, in which he was runner-up to Cracksman.

Cabriere has been able to switch from sprinting to staying and back again overnight, and still do the job well. He is ideal material for a campaign in Melbourne, where there are rich prizes for the short runner as well as the stayer.