AMAZING FEAT

Hokitika Guardian, 7 January 1933, Page 7

AMAZING FEAT

BY JOCKEY IN RACE' AT HOME

LONDON, November 17

As though to prepare us 'for th. e end of the Hat racing season and the coming of the jumpers, the closing meeting at Liverpool i,s always a mixed one, and steeplechasing never had a-' more thrilling introduction than in the Becher Chase, when W. Speck. wa s responsible for an astounding feat of horsemanship. The race w,as over two mileg and a half of the Grand Nationa. course, and Speck was .riding % J. fl, Whitney’s .11. . As lie.;, approached Becher’s Brook IPs saddle be•«an to slip, vye .’watphe^,. from the distant stand, we could see him performing;a circus trick in trying to adjust it. He got almost on to the horse’s neck, but it was obvious that, ho could do little to restore tne saddle to its proper place. At the time Speck was chasing Colliery Band, and, .despite his serious handicap he continued in pursuit. Three fences from home I saw the saddle slip round further than ever, and, whip the jockey iwas trying to retrieve the situation, Thomond II blundered badly .and wa. s almost down. More remarkable still, was that th e jockey did not come •off. for to all intents and purposes he was'riding bareback. Racing on, when h G came to the last fence the saddle and weight cloth were dangling about other be Mt over safely, and,, riding the horse’s hocks, but in some way or brilliantly, overtook the fast.tu’ing Colliery Band and won by half a length. T do not think any jockey has ever received such an ovation, and, most significant of the congratulations - which were showered on Speck were those of !v s .fellow jockeys, who declared that h e had achieved a performance.which they did not believe was possible. A tribute, too, was du e to tbg horse, ind I think he will gain further-distinc-tion in future cross-country racing. Colliery Band has a useful record; indeed. he is a horse of .some distinction. But ha was run out of the race in a manner which .suggested that Thomond !I had several pounds in hand.