MOUNTING THE LADDER

Taranaki Daily News, 19 December 1929, Page 5

MOUNTING THE LADDER

HECTOR GRAY SOON STRIKES FORM When Hector Gray incurred the displeasure of the powers that be, New Zealand lost the greatest h seman it has produced, not forgetting Charlie Jenkins, Derrett, Deeley and the knights of the pigskin who carried all before them in past generations. But now he is back, after four years’ forced absence from the saddle, his quick • eye, skill and cunning are as good as ever, thus confounding the critics who predicted that he would never stage a •“come-back.” From the time he threw his leg across Rasouli in the Spring 'Trial Stakes at the Wellington meeting 'On October 28, his first ride since his re-establishment, he has shown that he has indeed- come back, and in his third ride his triumph on Black Duke gave him an opportunity to show himself a master at his art. And since then, a bare five weeks, Hector Gray has saluted the judge on 14 occasions and has ridden to fifth position on the jockeys’ ladder, yet giving his confreres a start of three months. It is a remarkable performance and, once more the fashionable horseman, Gray will not lack mounts during the remaining months of the season. Wo have sensed the decline in the standard of riding during the last few years and have seen race after race ‘‘fired -in the air,” but through Gray’s example we can look for an appreciable rise jn the standard of riding. Gray has always been regarded as New Zealand’s greatest horseman. He has ..ridden in three lands —New Zealand, Australia and England—and Aus- -- tralian judges, though they have little respect for New Zealand jockeys as a rule, declared him to be the equal of Tom Hales, surely the highest praise Australians could give, wrote “Beragoon.” Gray is now 41 years of age, but during his career as a rider he has now xnost of the leading events on the New - Zealand turf, and before his compulsory retirement it was estimated that the stake money accompanying his efforts exceeded £150,0,00. ' English critics had a lot of time for Gray’s -riding, and during his trip to the 1 Old Country in 1021 he rode several winners. His first mount lie returned a winner. Later, when ho visited New Zealand on a business trip, he was given the ride on Thespian in the memorable Islington Plate at Ellerslie, and it was only the rare judgment used by Gray that, got the Absurd horse home ahead of the hot favourite, Gloaming. When in England Graywas first horseman to Sir Hugo Cunliffe-Owen, and had ho decided to remain there ho probably would have had the mount on Felstead, who won the English Derby. His spill from Ohinemuri in the Te Kuiti Cup was a piece of bad bad luck for Gray and the resulting broken col-lar-bone sustained in that fall will prevent him from taking a mount at Hawera on Thursday. Gray is undergoing special treatment for the break and at ‘'this stage he is confident that he will )e fit to take his place in the saddle at Illcrslio on Boxing Day.