HECTOR GRAY AT ASCOT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18323, 13 August 1921, Page 6

HECTOR GRAY AT ASCOT

SPEARWORTS GREAT victory—

HIS FINE INITIAL SUCCESS. CHORUS OP APPRECIATION. (Fbou Dub Own Cobbfsfondent.) LONDON, June 16. In less than a week of landing in England Hector Gray was riding a winner et Ascot, and ho is reputed to be the first New Zealand jockey to have received a retainer in England. His retainers for the season are Sir Hugo and Lady Cuncliffe-Owen. The Homeward journey in company with Mr 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 quite good, and he was rather astonished when ho 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 he thinks America possesses a high-class racehorse, but tho Autralaaian jockey was not greatly impressed with tho American horsemen. In ilia opinion they display no judgment, but they ride vigorously from the word "Go, ’ which perhaps accounts for their fast times. While in America Gray had the pleasure of meeting Sir Alec Biack, who was the owner of The Panther, favourite for tho Derby in 1919.. Sir Alec was greatly impressed with .Gray’s Australasian record, but of course the latter could not talk business with him owing to arrangements which had been made, prior to his departure from New Zealand, with a prominent English owner. On Gray’s arrival by the Celtic a week ago he was met "by a representative of Sir H. Cunliffe-Owen, and tho next' morning ho was signing an agreement and accepting a retainer to ride this owner’s horses for the balance of the season. As already stated, he has also' been retained by Lady CunliffeOwen. Further, he has accepted a second and a third retainer, but the names of the owners are not disclosed. Every arrangement has been made for his comfort, and bir Hugo has placed all facilities for travel at his disposal. On the journey across be was naturally a litlje “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 lull justice.

Before tie opening of the meeting Gray had had only two rides on Spearwort, and on© riding gallop, before actually mounting him for the Ascot Stakes. On the morning of the race, owing to traffic delays on the road, Gray arrived at the course only 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 sangfroid. The largeness of the crowd, the nofte and the din, and the strangeness of his new surroundings did not seem to upset him in the least. He rode an exceedingly welljudged race, and when the barrier went up he got away well, actually leading the field for about a furlong. Immdiiately he steadied his mount, and during the whole of the race he was always lying third or fourth. He drew a middle position, but during the progress ho managed soon steadily to worm his way towards 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 winning post he took absolute charge and eventually reached home a comfortable winner, being three lengths ahead of Mr J. Shepherd s King s Idler 1 there was a head between the latter and Chat Tor (the favourite). The betting price at the beginning of the race was 33 to 1, so that it will readily be seen that Spearwort 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 ia a worthy descendant (grandson) of old Carbine. He is the son of Monisima —Spearmint. Naturally, Gray is how the recipient of many inquiries, and racegoers are immensely interested in his previous career, so that the rest of liis stay in England promises to-be a successful one. Mr Bell, who travelledwith the horseman and arranged tliQ, New Zealand end of the negotiations in connection with his riding here, is naturally much elated at the initial success of his protege. THE FAVOURITE. . For the Ascot Stakes (handicap), of 1820 sovereigns, 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 et ridiculously short odds. Thealby hold the lead for leas than a mile, when Chat Tor .went to tfio front, but although the favourite held the command until the straight it was obvious that he would bo caught, and Spearwort (upon whom the New Zealand jockey Gray rode with nice judgment, says The Sporting Life) issued a challenge that was beyond resistance, and Sir H.' Cunliffe-Owen’s four-year-old, which carried lib overweight, won readily from King’s Idler* who made a bold effort under bis welter burden. The smart pace at which the race was run beat Thealby and Jappool, while Wildfellow ran in snatches and spoilt any chance ho may have held. In conformity with general anticipation, Chat Tor was a hot favourite throughout, hardening from 9 to 4 to 6 to 4, and being backed heavily at all stages on route. Thealby was next, ’but he eased from 6 to 1 to 7 to 1 when King’s Idler, who opened at 10 to 1, touched 8 to 1. Attilus was always easy to back, but still had a following both at 9 to 1 and 10 to 1. Wildfellow was generally in fair demand at 10 to 1, but dried up directly the price contracted. The rest contributed little or nothing, but no long prices were offered to tempt the friends of outsiders.

STARTING PRICES. G to 4 against Chat Tor, 7 to 1 against Thealby, 8 to 1 against .King’s Idler, 9 to 1 'against Attilus, 10 to 1 against Wildfellow, 100 to 7 eacli against others. COMPLIMENTARY COMMENTS. The Dully Telegraph comments on the foihiro of Chat Tor: “On what was seen at Kempton Park Chat Tor was a fairly obvious choice for tho Ascot Stakes, but 6 to 4 was approaching the ludicrous in these things. The Manton horse moved well, and he looked, absolutely trained to the minute. Spearwort also looked well, but Chat Tor seemed to have tho beating of him, and, indeed, tho former’s success to-day indicates the first upheaval in form at the meeting. No doubt ha was suited by the going. Ho certainly went kindly for the New Zealand' jockey, Hector Gray, whose first mount in England this was. For a long way Chat Tor remained in the forefront, Childs being unafraid to adopt aggressive tactics, which were opposed to these he showed at Kempton Park. . A mile or so from home he had taken the lead, at which point his nearest attendants were Thealby and Spearwort. Coming into tho straight Chat Tor still looked! like winning, and he ought to have been capable of pulling out something extra when Spearwort ranged up alongside, but ho just could not quicken. 'Thus Spearwort was allowed to go on and win easily by three lengths, with King’s Idler heading tho favourite close homo to gain second place. The Newbury Cup winner put up a fine show under his big weight. With Spearwort out of the way he certainly would have scored under his 101 b penalty. Attilus was in lucking mood nt the startingpost, but no damage was done. Probably the display of temper was an indication that he was not going to take any particular interest in the race. Gray comes here with a big reputation from New Zealand and Australia, and certainly nothing could be mere auspicious than the start ho has male. The breeches lie wore gave the idea that they were borrowed ones, but Sir Hugo CunliffeOwen may now see to it that ho ia more immaculately turned out in future. Ho can ride all right. He takes a short hold of his horse and has a good seat, and this race told that he is a good judge of pace and what his horse is capable of.”

The Daily Express: “Chat Tor ran exactly the same sort of race as ho did in the Stakes last year. Childs always had him well placed near the rails, and was not afraid to overhaul Thealby a long way from home. You could have’ laidi odds on him in the straight, but ho soon weakened when tackled. Ho had opened at 5 to 2, and shortened to G to i. Many—even before Plymstock led of!—vowed to back Alec, Taylor’s horses blindly all the week. ‘Tfis is worse than Lord’s,’ said many sorry Englishmen when Hector Gray made a winning debut over here on Speanvort—who -was a 100 to 7 chance. Incidentally Gray is a New Zealander, and is so wrinkled that he looks a bit cider than he really is. He can ride at a weight approaching Donoglnto’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 th© season. The name ‘H. Gray’ conveyed:, however, little to layers—beforehand. Gjtiy's first mount in New Zealand was also a ivinner, and Frank Bullock was the first to congratulate him.” The Daily Mail: “Floreat the Antipodes! Australia well thrashed us at cricket yesterday. an,d New Zealand beat us in the Ascot Stakes with a fresh jockey. This w4s Hector Gray, rider of hundreds of winners ‘down under,’ including those of all the big races in New Zealand. He is not » youngster by any means, but still has a lot of good, ] steady, well-judged riding in him, i[ his handling of Spearwort be any criterion. Gray landed in this country only last Saturday. Friendly influences got him a retainer for the season for Sir H. Ounliffe-Owcn, and he has cemented the association with quite a striking performance. He will not be on Orpheus in the Hunt Cup, /however, owing to an old arrangement with Vic Smyth to ride. “ It was a violent reversal of their Keinpton form agai";t Periosteum for Spearwort to beat Chat Tor, capeciolly as the latter was voted unlucky on that occasion. He got shut in, and could not be extricated from his difficulties till the race was over. With everybody backing him yesterday ho

coded op at 6 to 4 after 5 to 2 bad been laid, but that was prior to racing. Thealby end the penalised King's Idler i.gured as the ‘dangers,’ such os they were, and trifles went on Attilus land Wild follow. How could anybody back Spearwort in face of Kempton? Ho treated us to a glimpse of the form which got him alongside Buchan in the Doncaster Cup, and was an easy winner from halfway up the straight. Childs, on the favourite, reversed the waiting tactics employed at Kempton and took him to the front quite a mile from home. There ha stayed until Spearwort challenged him in earnest, whereupon he either cried a go or else he doesn’t properly get two miles. He first flattered and then disappointed in precisely the same way last year.” The Morning Post: “Chat Tor was all the rug© for the Ascot Stakes, and was backed down to a very short price. History repeated itself, aa the horse finished third, just .as he did last year after being made favourite in the same race. Thealby disappointed me, ,aa after leading the field for a long way he collapsed completely on entering tli© straight. Chat Tor dispossessed him of the command, only to give way in his turn to Spearwort. Sir Hugo CunlifieOwen’s colt finished with a rare display of stamina, and won by three lengths from King’s Idler, who, also finishing just beat the favourite for second honours. The winner was a complete outsider, which could not be wondered at, since his success was a positive contradiction of his previous form tliis season. Ten days previously Chat Tor had finished in front of him at Kempton Park, and for that defeat Spearwort had only an allowance of 21b now. Hia victory was noteworthy in that it gave Hector Gray his first winning ride in this country. The jpckey is an experienced horseman, who has ridden hundreds of winners in New Zealand and Australia.”

The Evening News: “A change of jockey often makes a wonderful difference to a horse. We saw that in the case of Spearwort in the Ascot Stakes. This four-year-old, who was solidly backed to win last year’s Cesarewitch, was now ridden by Hector Gray, a New Zealander, who, I believe, has been given a big retainer by Leach’s stable because the Beach boys are growing out of weight. Gray, who has a splendid record in his own conn try, looks an old man, but it was quite apparent that he has the power and the ability. He waited on Chat Tor and Thealby until they were in the straight, when he came out to win by three lengths.”