RACING IN THE OLD COUNTRY.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1524, 10 July 1919, Page 9

RACING IN THE OLD COUNTRY.

VICTORIAN JOCKEY’S IMPRESSIONS. The successful Victorian crosscountry jockey F. W. McCabe, who is well-known to New Zealand racing enthusiasts, recently returned from the front, and intends following his calling again. In relating his experiences to a “Sun” interviewer, McCabe said he saw much racing in England and Ireland, and had several mounts while he was away. He left Melbourne in October, 1916, and before leaving England for France sustained a broken arm in a fall in a hurdle race at Gatwick. He wad

in the front line at Ypres and Armentieres, and beyond minor injuries escaped unhurt. McCabe won the Victory Hurdle Race at Manchester on Watergruel, owned by the former Australian, Mr. R. Wootton. He rode Picture Saint in the Victory National Steeplechase at Liverpool, and after covering a round of the course his mount fell at a water jump. McCabe considers the fences at Liverpool are the biggest he has ever seen, but English horses are usually well schooled, and serious accidents are comparatively few. In Ireland McCabe finished second on Vatigan in the St. Patrick’s Steeplechase, for maiden ’chasers.

“The best jumper I have ever seen,” said McCabe, “is Waterbed, which belongs to Mr. R. Sievier. He carried 12.7 and won the Victory Steeplechase, of £lOOO, at the Manchester meeting, after having almost fallen at the last fence. The steeplechases are run at a much slower pace in England than in Australia, but the jumpers, “bn the whole, are superior to ours.

“In Ireland, where the racegoers are fond of jumping events, the horses go faster, and the races are run in similar fashion to the Australian events. The hurdles in Ireland are rather small, and are easily knocked down by the competitors, and the races usually resolve tnemselves into flat races. The brush fences in Ireland are the best I have seen. They average about 4ft. Gin., and are kept in fine order, as are all the surroundings of the Irish courses.”

McCabe said that owing to the large number of jumpers which were presented to the military authorities for chargers, there was a great dearth of that class of racer in England. At a meeting at Windsor in January, a programme of six jumping races attracted only 16 starters, there being a few walks over.