HECTOR GRAY AT ASCOT

Otago Witness, Issue 3518, 16 August 1921, Page 42

HECTOR GRAY AT ASCOT

HIS FINE INITIAL SUCCESS. CHORUS OF APPRECIATION. CFko'a Oub Own Correspondent.) LONDON, June IG. In less than a week of landing in England Hector Gray was riding a winner at Ascot, and lie is reputed to be the first New Zealand jockey to have received a retainer in England. His retainers for the .season are and Lady Cuncliffe-Owen. Ihe Homeward journey in company with Hr J. M. Dell (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 he saw the fust 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 the Autralasiau jockey was not greatly impressed with the American horsemen. In his 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 Black, who was the owner of The Panther, favourite for the Derby in 1019. 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 hod been made, prior to his departure from Yew Zealand, with a prominent English owner. On Gray’s arrival by the Celtic a week ago ho was met by a representative of Sir H. Cunliife-Owen, and the next morning he was signing an agreement and accepting a retainer to ride this owner's horses for the balance of the season. As already stated, he hits 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 Sir Hugo has placed all facilities for travel at lits disposal. On the journey across he was naturally a little "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 full justice. SPEARWOirrS GREAT victory. Before the opening of the meeting Gray had had only two rides on Spearwort, and one 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 fortyminutes 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 noise 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. Immediately ho 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 he 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 lie took absolute charge and eventually reached home a comfortable winner, being three lengths ahead of Mr J. Shepherd’s King's Idler; there was a head between the latter and Chat Tor (the favourite). Gray's opinion of Spear wort is that he is a lazy horse, and is extremely hard to ride, but that he is a worthy descendant (grandson) cf old Carbine. He is the son of Monisiuua—Spearmint. Naturally, Gray is now the recipient of many inquiries, and racegoers are immensely interested in his previous career, so that the rest of ilia stay in England xrromises to be a successful one. Mr Bell, who travelled with the horseman and arranged the New Zealand end of the negotiations in connection with ills riding here, is naturally much elated at the initial success of his protege. THE FAVOURITE, For the Ascot Stakes (handicap), of IS2O sovereigns, Air 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 at ridiculously short odds. I heal by held the lead for less than a mile, when Chat Tor went to the 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. Cunlifie-Owen’s four-year-old, which carried lib overweight, won readily from King’s Idler, who made a bold effort under his welter burden. The smart pace at which the race was run beat Thealby and Jappool, while AVildfellow ran in snatches and spoilt any chance he may have held.

BANNED LITERATURE. ANOTHER WELLINGTON CASE. WELLINGTON, August 12. Allegations of being in possession of banned literature were made against two young men and a young woman at the Magistrate’s Court to-day. William Blair was charged with having sold to Constable Da we the Australian Communist, which encourages violence and lawlessness, and other barred publications. George Wilkinson was accused of having been found in possession of a prohibited newspaper —Knowledge and Unity and Inside Soviet Russia. Ilcdwig Weitzel, the female defendant, was charged with having sold to Constable I'd 'Kay The Communist, which encourages violence. Accused was remanded. Tn regard to Blair, Detective Andrews said that, since the summons was served it transpired that, defendant, had endeavoured to leave the. country, had obtained a steamer ticket under an assumed name, and was found aboard the Manuka.