SHORTAGE OF JOCKEYS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31597, 7 February 1968, Page 4

SHORTAGE OF JOCKEYS

"The Press” Special Service INVERCARGILL. A shortage of jockeys—the worst for more than 30 years—is affecting training at the Southland Racing Club’s course. More than 40 horses, fewer than usual for this time of the season, are in-training but only one licensed jockey is available to ride training work. He is the apprentice, B. L. Shaw. He is being used by nearly all the trainers. Shaw suffered severe bruising when he fell on Lucky Sam at Gore last Saturday, but he expects to be able to ride on the second day of the meeting on Saturday. In many cases trainers are required to ride their own horses in fast work, particularly when they want to work in company. Attempts to secure

A. Colven Retires

'‘The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND.

The Te Awamutu light-weight rider, A. G. Colven, has announced his retirement from race riding.

Colven has ridden about 150 winners since he came to New Zealand from England 14 years ago.

He won 58 times while appren ticed in England.

Colven has retired from riding for business reasons. He recently purchased a shop in Cambridge. Colven, who has done much of his riding for the Te Awamutu stable of W. Sanders, was noted for riding winners at long odds. He rode Paton to win at odds of more than 247 to 1 at Ellerslie several years ago. He says the now-dead New Zealand sire, Byland, which did all his racing in England, was the fastest horse he had ridden.

Colven does not intend to give up racing. He recently purchased a Fair’s* Fair colt and intends to train it himself.

likely light-weight boys as apprentices have been unsuccessful. “The situation has become impossible,*' one Invercargill trainer said yesterday. “Very few boys are prepared to take up positions working in a stable and in most cases those that are willing are not suitable. We have even tried to secure suitable boys further north but they will not come to Southland, where there are restricted opportunities," he said. The hack sprinter. Waterfront, and the Gore Cup candidate. Manners, were the most impressive to work at Invercargill yesterday morning. Manners worked over a round and finished from the five furlongs in Imin 6 2-ssec, the final half in 51 l-ssec. Manners has done particularly well and he will be a strong light-weight chance in the Gore Cup. Waterfront dashed over three furlongs in 38 l-ssec. Primero, which will have her first start on Saturday, sprinted three furlongs in 42sec. Her stablemate Disciple, after working over a round, ran from the half-mile in 54 l-ssec.. The trestles on tne course proper were 15ft out and the track was hard and fast.