Cochrane gets his 1000th win

Press, 14 July 1980, Page 24

Cochrane gets his 1000th win

By

J. J. BOYLE

The Southlander Rex Cochrane, aged 50, on Saturday became the first New Zealand galloping trainer to prepare 1000 winners. He took great pleasure from the fact that this mark was reached in his old home district of Waimate in a race in memory of an uncle.

The two-year-old Palimony broke the 1000 barrier in the Cochrane Memorial and did so in style in the hands of Jim Collett, one of a number of talented horsemen to have come out of the now well known Cochrane stable.

Folay had recorded win number 999 in a steeplechase earlier in the day at the Waimate Hunt Club’s meeting. Cochrane is pictured leading Palimony back after his win.

There was nothing to dim the joy of the occasion for Cochrane com-

pared with his first outright success as a trainer: his father, Jim, died three days before Cogitation won the Christchurch Hunt’s Homeby Steeplechase on July 27, 1957. Rex Cochrane had entered a professional training partnership with his father in the 1955-56 season and the death of the senior partner brought sadness to the family at a time when, in other circumstances, there would have been occasion for rejoicing. A week after the Homeby, Cogitation won the Grand National Steeplechase. Earlier this Lo Zingaro gelding had won the Grand National Hurdles for the father-and-son partnership. He also won the Riverton Cup and the Awapuni Hurdles, among other races, and Cochrane sees him as the most versatile horse to have passed through his hands. Cochrane has since won two more Grand National Steeplechases, with Game

Call and Enceeoh. He also captured the. Grand National Hurdles with Sheikle, Court Belle, Yipp’s Secret, and Castle Flight are high in his regard of the many good flat performers to come out of his stable. Cochrane was indentured to his father and rode 33 winners before weight problems sidelined him. About seven of those wins were in saddle trots. His first win as an apprentice jockey was on Good East, trained by his father, in the Vauxhall Handicap at the Otago Hunt Club’s meeting in 1944. Cochrane is one of only two trainers in the last 55 years of thoroughbred racing to have won the premiership in three consecutive seasons. The other was the late Tommy George. Cochrane was the top trainer in the 1970-71, 1971-72, and 1972-73 seasons.