JOCKEYS OLD AND NEW

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 124, 30 May 1927, Page 7

JOCKEYS OLD AND NEW

TOM HALES RECALLED

It is scarcely possible to ; compare the leading modern jockeys with the famous horsemen of the past and decide with any certainty that the new school—the Tod. Sloaners—is inferior or superior to the old. But I think a large majority of the racing men who have seen all or most of the crack, riders of. the last fifty years will declare that Tom Hales was the greatest of all Australian jockeys (writes "Touch-' stone" in "The Australasian")!; Now, hold on! Before any of you throw verbal bricks at me, let me explain: I am not decrying the merits of, the many fine riders we have seen since Tom Hales's time, sueh 1 as Frank Bullock, "Brownie" Cars- £ ke > £rank Dempsey, J. Barden, J. E. Pike, R. A. Wood, W. H. M'Lach-lan.-H. Cairns—to mention only a few at random—though probably the two nrstnamed were seen at their best in England, lurthermore, I am willing to admit that when at the zenith of their powers, several of his contemporaries-rM. O'Brien, E Power, P. Pigott, and A. Robertson, and one or two others—for a brief period may have been equal or little inferior to Tom Hales. In the late 'eighties we had far more first-class jockeys than we have today, for in addition to. those I have named, "Bricky" Colley, Ernest Huxley, E. Gorry, C. Quinn, Ci Moore, M'Grade, R. Kamage, T. Nerriker, J. Campbell, W. Kelso, T. Sanders, R. Ellis, "Mo" Trahan, J. Fielder, J. Gainsford, Mat Harris, were riding atthesame time, and no doubt I have overlooked a few other accomplished horsemen. . ::. But just as Carbine, in the opinion of most of the old-timers,: is the greatest of all Australian racehorses, so Tom Hales stands above all other jockeys." He was no flash, in the pan; he retained his form in a wonderful way for a quarter of a century, and apart from his ability in the saddle' his conduct on and off . the racecourse was most exemplary. He was seldom seen in the city, and carefully avoided doubtful company. No other rider in this country possessed anything approaching the. popularity of Hales at the height of his fame. His employers and the public had absolute confidence in ■mini, and never once during his long career was it even hinted that he did not try to win a face, or had been concerned in any "fishy" business. He had a gracelul seat -in the saddle, perfect hands, and was one of the finest, judges of pace at a time when judgment of that kind was a valuable asset. The advent of the St. Simon blood, and the Tod Sloan seat, revolutionised race riding. The majority of the horses to-day travel at top speed with tueir jockeys crouched on their withers, consequently little finesse is required, and most ruces-rone might say all run at a mile and under—are little better than «v ii r * ,scrainD les» the jockeys going hell for leather" from barrier rise, some of them giving little thought of whom J^y might knock over in their "off to the; fire" rush. There are now remarkably few artists of the Tom Hales typethe most reckless and unscrupulous jockey wins races as long as he can escape the notice of the' stewards. On the other hand. Hales always was scrupulously fair towards other ridew, and in this respect was superior to his great English contemporary, .Fred Archer, who was not above taking an unfair advantage of his opponents, and occasionally bullied the younger jockeys, particularly when he had backed his own mount for a large stake. In passing I may say that a good judge of racing who frequently saw Fred Archer ride once told me' that, in his opinion, lorn Hales was the better jockey of the .'^O- .;• -And this ja -not;, hacd..to believe • when we remember' tnb* marked success achieved in later years, in England, and on the Continent, by Carslake, Bullock, j h erguson, and other Australian jockeys.