HECTOR GRAY AT ASCOT

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 33, 8 August 1921, Page 2

HECTOR GRAY AT ASCOT

HIS FINE INITIAL SUCCESS

CHORUS OF APPRECIATION.

(FROM .OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 16th June.

In less than a week of landing in Eng.land Hector Gray was riding a winner at Ascot, and he is reputed to be the first Zealand jockey to have received a retainer in England. His retainers for the season are Sir Hugo and Lady'Oun-!iffc-Owen.

The homeward journey in company with Ma 1. J. M. Bell (Auckland) was made by the United States, and naturally, while in Belmont, New York, Gray attended /the races. In his opinion the American horses were qixite good, and he was ratber astonished .when he saw the' fast times they put up. He made inquiries' regarding the absolute correctness of the length of the courses and the horses' times, and, as the result, h? thinks America possesses a high-class racehorse, 'but the Australasian jockey was not greatly impressed with "*he American horsemen. In his opinion, they display no judgment, but they rid® vigorously from the word "Go," which perhaps accounts for,their fast times.'

While in America Gray had the pleasure of meeting Sir Alec Black, who was the owner of The Panther, favourite for the Derby in 1919. Sir Alec was greUly impressed with Gray's Australasian record, but, of course, the lnt!ev could not talk busines;3 with him, owing to arrangements which had been made, prior to his departure from New Zealand, with, a prominent English owner. I

On Gray's' arrival by, the Celtic, a week ago, lie was met by a representative of Sir H. Cunliffo-O'wen, and the next morning he. was signin? an agreement and accepting a retainer to'ride Ibia owner's horses for the balance of the season. An already slated, he. has also been retained by Lady Cunliffe-Oweii.

Further, lie Ims accepted a second and a- third retainer, but the names of the owners are not disclosed. Every arrangement lias been' made for hia'comfort, and Sir Hugo has placed all facilities for travel at his disnosal. On the journey across he was naturally a little "nervy," but he settled down immediately on landing in England, and within a short while he was. able to make a splendid start on the opening day at Ascot, where he did himself full justice. SPEARWORT'S GREAT VICTORY. Before the opening of the, meeting Gray had. had only two rides on Speftrwort, and one riding gallop, before actually mounting him for the Ascot Stakes. On the morning oi the race, owing to traffic dekys on the road, Gray only arrived at the course forty minutes before the starting of the'event. The result was that he had to get a permit to allow him to walk round the course in order to' familiarise himself with its intricacies. Gray rode out with his*usual sang froid. fie'rode an exceeding Well-judged race, and when the bar- . rier went ap he got away well, actually leading the field for ■ about a-furlong. Immediately he steadied! his mount, and during the ■ whale, of the race he was always lying third or fourth. He drew a middle position,-but during the progress he managed soon steadily to worm his .way toward the rails: When they came to the final turn for home, Gray appeared to have the race well in hand, and about half a furlong from the win-ning-post he took absolute charge, and I eventually reached hime a comfortable Winner, being three lengths ahead of Mr. J. Shepherd's King's Idler; there was a head between the latter and Chat Tor. (the favourite). Spearwort was at a long^rifie as he had not been looked' upon With much favour. Gray's opinion of him is that he is a lazy horse and is extremely hard to ride, but that he is a worthy descendant (grandson) ;of old Carbine. He is the son of JVlonisima—Spearmint; Naturally, Gray is now the /recipient of many inquiries, and racegoers are immensely 'interested in his previous career, so that tho rest of his stay in Eiigland promises to.be a< successful onn. Mr. Bell, who travelled with the horseman and arranged the New Zealand end f>f the negotiations in connection with his riding here, is naturally much elated at the initial success of his protege/ THE FAVOURITE' BEATEN. For the Ascot Stakes, Mr. W. M..G. Singer's Chat Tor was the favourite, and the plungers, invested without fear. There was little money for anything else, and finally Chat Tor finished up* third at ridiculously short odds. Thealby held the lead for less than a mile, when Chat Tor went to the front, but although the favourite held the command until the'straight it was obvious 1 that he' would be caught,,and Spearwort (upon whom the New Zealand jockey Gray rode with nice judgment, Bays the Sporting Life), issued a challenge that was beyond resistance, and Sir H. Cui'.liffe-Owen's four-year-old, which carried lib over-. weight,. won readily from King's Idler, wl.o made a bold effort under his Welter burden. The smart pace at which, the ' race was run beat Thealby and jappool, while Wildfellow ran in snatches and spoilt any chance he may have held. In conformity with general anticipation, Chat Tor was a hot favourite throughOUt. ■''•■: COMPLIMENTARY COMMENTS. The Daily Telegraph "Gray comes here with a big reputation from New Zealand and Australia, and certainty nothing could be" more auspicious than! the start he has made. The breeches he wore gave the idea that they were borrowed ones, but Sir Hugo Cunliffe--owe may. now see to it that he is more itflmaculately turned/out in future. He can ride all right. He takes a short hoid of his horse and has a good seat, and this,race told that he is a good judge oh pace and what his horse is capable of." /, ■>. ■'■.' ■'

, The Daily Express: "Incidentally, Gray is a New Zealander, and is so wrinkled that he looks a bit older than he really is. He can ride at a weight approaching Donoghue's, and it was on the strength ,of his remarkable record, down under and his excellent credentials that the tobacco magnate gave him a retainer for the season. The name 'H. Gray' conveyed, however, Jlittle to layers—beforehand. ' Gray's first mount in New Zealand was also a winner, and Frank Bullock was the first to congratulate him." .

The Daily Blail! "boreal. the Anti. podes'! Australia well thrashed us at cricket yesterday, and New Zealand beat us in the Ascot Stakes with a fresh jockey. This Was Hector Gray, rider of hundreds of winners 'down under/ including those of all the big races in New Zealand. , He is not a youngster by any means, but still has a lot,of good, steady, well-iudged riding in him, if his handling of Spearwort be any criterion."