A NEW ZEALAND JOCKEY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 8

A NEW ZEALAND JOCKEY

TWO BECBNT COUPS. (FROM OUP. OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, 13th April. Princess Mary and Viscount Lascelles were present yesterday at the second day of the Pontefract race meeting, one of Lord Lascelles's horses, Canary Seed, having been entered for the principal event of the day, the Carlton Handicap. However, Canary Se,ed was not started, as the going was heavy. ' This £1000 sprint produced an excellent field of eleven, and unexpectedly the honours of the day fell to a New Zealand owner and a New Zealand jockey. Mr. H. Miller's b c Hunting Song, ridden by Hector Gray, won.the event, beating five other horses that were better favourites. The previous day Hunting Song had suffered defeat, but he made this good yesterday by his surprise victory, getting in first by a length and a half. All the sporting writers this morning make special reference to H. Gray's splendid, coup.

Hector Gray was responsible for another surprise victory a few days previously during the progress.of the Leicester Meeting. He was riding the Sunstar gelding Meteoric, owned by Mr. T. M'Guffie, and trained in Captain Oswald Bell's powerful stable at L.imbourn. Meteoric won by a length and a half from Mr. W. S. Beer's Americus Boy, which was the favourite, and he also disposed of three other entrants who were better, favoured than himself. Gray was to have ridden Lady Cunliffe-Owen's Previous in the valuable Leicester Handicap, but in consequence- of the news of Lord Carnarvon's death, Lady Cun-liffo-Ovven decided that the iiorse. should not run, she being n close friend of the Carnarvon family. The victory of Precious was generally expected, IjuL the unlooked-for victory of Meteoric gave if!*!' a wiiiuing vide..