A VERSATILE JOCKEY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXII, Issue 221, 1 September 1932, Page 2

A VERSATILE JOCKEY

TALLY OF 1888 WINNERS. AMUSING COUNTRY INCIDENT. Few tidti* have followed such a varied and sU.ceeesfhl career a* W. Gleeson, who recently arrived in Melbourne from Queensland tod has been granted a license by the Victoria Racing Club. He has ridden 1300 winners, achieved SiicceSs as a trotting driveand Won boxing matches, ahd' flow at 35 years of ago is equally at home over the jump* "of on the flat,, Over :21 year* ago Gleeson became apprenticed to the late John AUsopP at Randwick. 1 At the end of his apprenticeship G, P. Nailson, a regular visitor to Melbourne, took the boy to Queensland, and this was tte begmning of a brilliant career. Most ofhi* riding was doite On , unregistered courses. He soOn won his way to the one year he rode 142 winners, (he of the best horses of the tune wa* Delinacfe, a handsome son of_Linacre, on whom no won 19 races. He also won trotting event* to Queensland with horses trained by Martin Kjnmy. As a boxer Gleeson had three fights at the Brisbane Stadium, .winning them all. He found that boxing kept him fit for riding. He Is a keen footballer and Also doe* a good deal of swimming in the season. Tie has been, riding over jump* for a little over two and recently scared a double at Vm* years ago Gleeson was engaged 1 to ride at Gordortvale, a small town 16 toile* from Cairns. The day began badly, for the barrier broke a* the field lined Up in one Sprint race, and the dead-heaters in a subsequent race were brought out for the run-off. While the field was waiting to be called into line at the end of the day the horses were recalled to the saddling paddock and a change of riders Was . r*The delays resulted in the horses in Uhe lest event being sent to the post at 8.80 p.m. The sun had gone down. The starter struck a match and- con. suited his racebook fot burner posi. Hon* and at the suggestion of .the riders the barrier was. not drawn right down in order to minimise the risk of horse or jockey being caught in it. ■ Gleeson rode the winner, Materhnk. He jumped his mount out in front, but

kept a wide course as the trick was Sited only for the last three furlongs. e glimpsed, the judge’s box silhouetted against the Skyline, and On nearing it kept shouting. “I’m No. 8! I’m No. 81” tintil he considered he had passed the host. The clerk of the course came looking for No. 3 and Gleeson weighed in by the light of matches.

After reporting the races in the usual manner, with placings and betting, the Townsville Bulletin concluded with “Tithe—night-time.”