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Letter of the Week

Multi tasking

Rules governing Australian jockeys, their behaviour, obligations and entitlements have varied over the years and from state to state.

In our earliest times some jockeys quite legitimately owned, trained and rode their own horses. The Portland (Vic)-born legend of racing Tom Hales was a notable example.

To this day such licensing is available to an owner, provided he or she is not a professional jockey and meets the criteria of the stipendiary stewards regarding ability.

But of course the much lower maximum weights allotted to horses nowadays negates the likelihood of an owner claiming his right.

The last owner I recall to ride his own at a city meeting was the late Des Martin, author of Australia Astride, of Aherlo station, Wodonga, on his good horse Finentigue at Flemington.

Combined trainer/jockey licences last longer in South Australia, where Johnny Miller and John Hawkes were prominent proponents, but when they travelled their horses interstate they were required to nominate a stand-in as the registered trainer.

The withdrawal of jockey/trainer permits came for no good reason, or at least none of which I am aware.

It goes without saying that ways were found to circumvent this onerous rule, with wives or family members registered as the owners or titular trainers.

But some jockeys, with no wives or with insufficient trust, attached themselves to a trainer and did their own thing with their horses in what was a surely symbiotic relationship involving trackwork riding and stable duties.

A jockey who was among the most astute track riders of a bygone time — I shall call him Zac Bligh — owned a very smart horse, albeit registered in the name of another. Zac was attached to the stable of a master trainer, now long gone to that great racecourse in the sky.

After a long preparation, and some well held preparatory runs, the master trainer told Zac that, having observed the horse and its work, he was concerned that it might go "over the top" if held for any longer, and the time could not be riper to find a suitable race.

Zac, apart from being a good judge of a horse’s progress, was as adept at assessing ability amongst jockeys.

Came his reply: "Well, I’m ready. Who can we get to ride him — do you think you could get Roy?"

A gentle chiding flavoured with mild rebuke was the response from the master. "But you’ve done all the work and held him together for all his preparation. Surely you want to ride him yourself?"

Zac: "Turn it up, George. I’m putting my own on this thing and betting up big. I just have to have Roy!"

John D. Nott
Rutherglen (Vic)
Today's Racing
Thursday 28 March
Friday 29 March
Saturday 30 March