A PROMINENT JOCKEY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20536, 11 October 1928, Page 7

A PROMINENT JOCKEY.

F. E. JONES MAY RETIRE. (Siecial to Daily Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 10. The well-known Riccarton jockey, F. E. Jones, will not be riding at the Dunedin Jockey Club’s meeting this week, and it is possible that his carreer in the saddle is at an end. This decision is based on medical advice. Jones has experienced some trouble in his back for some time. He is of opinion that it is due to a fall about a year ago. The trouble has gradually become more acute, and as the result of a medical examination a few days ago he has been advised to give up race riding. Jones served his apprenticeship at Chokebore Lodge, under the late Edward Cutts, and from when he commenced race riding his ability in the saddle was quickly recognised, the result being that very soon his services were in request among owners and trainers, quite apart from the opportunities that came his way in the big stable to which he was attached. During his career he has ridden the winners of many important races on different courses throughout the Dominion. At Ellerslie his successes include the Foal Stakes three times, also the Aucuuaui and the Great Northern Derby. As might be expected, he has a particularly good record at Riccarton, where he has handled eight winners of the Champagne Stakes, three of the Oaks, two of the Derby, two of the Metropolitan Handicap, in addition to capturing the Stewards’ Handicap, Welcome Stakes, Canterbury Cup, Stead Cup, and Great Autumn Handicap. He has done well also at Wingatui, where he has won the Champagne Stakes nine times, and the Dunedin Cup, M'Lean Stakes, and Dunedin Guineas each three times. At Trentham his successes include two wins in the Wellesley Stakes and one each in the St. Leger and Trentham Gold Cup. Among the good horses on whom he won important events were Warstep, Autumnus, Fleetfoot, Counterfeit, Madam Madcap, Masterpiece, and Pilliewinkie. When increasing weight commenced to limit his riding opportunities, Jones took up training, but that side of the business did not appeal to him, and at the end of a few years he returned to the saddle. It was soon evident that his spell had done him no harm, as in his later years he was as good as ever. He was a very consistent rider and in the front rank among the Dominion’s horsemen. He was a good judge of pace, and he scored many notable successes in welter races. He was particularly' successful on two-year-olds, especially in six furlong rac-'s wh ment was required, this being amply demonstarted by his woiuiyrun . ~o Canterbury Champagne Stakes and Dunedin Champagne Stakes. Though he has ridden for many owners, there are two with whom he has been particularly identified. He has been closely associated with Sir George Clifford’s stable during the greater part of his career, while he has over the same lengthy period carried the colours of Mr C. G. Dalgety on many occasions. One of the first, if not actually the first, race in which he rode was on Mr Dalgety’s mare Stepdancer in the New Zealand Cup of 1905. It is a great tribute to Jones, quite apart from his ability as a rider, that he enjoyed the confidence of these two owners and their trainers throughout the whole of his riding career. Jones has been keenly interested for years past in the trotting sport, where he has handled many winners, and as a pied, of wcll-gaited pacers he has had no superior on New Zealand trotting tracks.