FAMOUS JOCKEYS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17245, 11 January 1924, Page 2

FAMOUS JOCKEYS.

FRANK WOOTTON. (By a Special English Racing Gorresponden t), Richard Wootton, tne Australian maue quite a unique ruene in itngiisu tun history lor hi nisei r wnen he came here some hair dozen years or so betoro tho fatetui year of iyi4. But for the migration ot that clever trainer irom "down under/’ tho prowess ot the Wootton family would never have been heard of m England and our racing affairs would have been carred on without knowledge of such names as those of Frank and Stanley 'Wootton.

It may be that one is stretching a point to say this, because there are people who will contend that the ability possessed by Frank \\ ootton would inevitably nave its reward, and that even without his father's aid he would have “ arrived ” among us in some way or other. Be that as it may, Richard Wootton came to England via South Africa. In both these colonies he made his mark as a skilful trainer; but one season was sufficient for him in South Africa and from there he decided to give England a trial. In those days young Frank travelled with tho “old man ’ ’ as an apprentice and was in every sense the apple of his father’s eye. It was in truth the period that Frank should have been assiduously ■studying the three R’s instead of tackling the other-—riding. A colonial trainer arriving in this country is not accepted on mere reputation. Fie has, on the contrary, to prove his worth.—usually to a very sceptical and conservative crowd of critics. Richard "Wootton, aided by hi‘ son. soon convinced the racing world that they constituted a force to be reckoned with, and before man? months they were established at Ep-

eoni with bright prospects and high hopes.

It would be impossible in a brief space to go into full details of the Wootton progress from strength to strength. While the father, at Treadwell House, trained many fine horses for Sir E. Hulton (then racing as Mr Lyfcham) and Mr H. J. Hall <“ Hall's Wine”) and other well-known, owners, the boy Frank enjoyed retainers from patrician owners like Ix>rd Derby, Mr J. B. Joel and others. Under the strict tutelage of his father, the lad rapidly made headway in every phase of the game and, against such famous riders as Danny Maher, Billy Higgs, Dillon and others, emerged with flying colours. * Not since the dashing days of the “Kid” Wootton has there been such a forceful youngster. The closest comparison we can make is young Smirke, who. remarkable enough, is a product of Wootton ingenuity and care. This little jockey has many of the attributes and much of the sag-

acity of his predecessor Frank Wootton. In tho training of both horses and horsemen Stanley Wootton has no superior. He is a few years younger than Frank, but though riding quite successfully never attained the reputation of his brother. Stanley retired early, on account of increasing weight, to become his father's right-hand man at Epsom.

Tho entire Wootton family did r.ct arrive in this country until the father had become thoroughly established at Epsom, but none of them return?! to Australia when Richard Wootton went back there after the war. He is now an hotel proprietor at Sydney, and besides many vested interests, continues to do well as an owner and trainer. Almost each mail brings news of additional success, just as each outward post cheers the “old man” with details of Stanley Wootton’s continuous victories. The remainder erf the family, two daughters and a young boy, Dick, live at Epsom, but Frank is established in his London flat. Frank rode a tremendous number of winners year after year, but from the outset was Valways up against the weight problem. When on the 6-stone mark he was all the rage in big handicaps and ran up j* lot of successes on Glacis for Lord Derby, besides winning the i'esarewitch on the lightlyweighted Demure iti 1907. which was tho first of his wonderful years. He never had the fortune to be on the back of a Derby winner however, although his father was pretty confident of winning the Epeom classic with Shogun. Most people attributed the colt’s failure to Frank Wootton's absolute mania for getting the rails position, but in this instance I rather think that the best of the iockev was not seen that day on account of the fact that just previously, when dashing around Epsom on his first motor bike, he had the bad luck to come up against a stone wall! Much to hifather’s chagrin, of course, but Franlwas put up on Shogun all the same because he knew the colt so well. Stil ! with his right arm to hi side he was almost attempting the in>

possible. He won \.,h.ks u *. r. fe n. m 1909 on Perola for the late r?;r . Cooper, and those vho witnessed tho win will not forget the shouts that greeted her victory. But it was in handicaps that- Frank ootton became such a coveted pilot. Every owner wanted his services, and many were the presents lavished upon him_ It would not be cricket to go into the whole rigmarole of the Law Courts struggle in which all the Epsom apprentices and jockeys were concerned against Ms •* Bob ” Sievier, but some idea of the amount of money which a successful rider can earn was very markedly retailed to the general public on that occasion. When the war came Frank Wootton had retired from the saddle and ras “walking ’at about 11 stone. He rested, or assisted Stonier in training as the whim seized him. 'in due rourse he went into the Army and found himself out in the land of ancient- glorr Mesopotamia. There he rode winners 111 sporting events up bv the military, and enjoyed just as much popularity as though he v.ere riding at Epsom. Frank never aspired to a • ffam Browne,” but liis brother Stanley was commissioned from the outset of his army career and distinguished himself in France by gaining the Military Gross. tt Immediately upon getting back to Blighty ” Frank became imbued with a desire to ride again, and so decided to go in ior the jumping game. He now rides equally well over fences and hurdles, and is at the top of the —just as he had beo.i on the fla:. This record is unparalleled in turf statis-