Winning Post - Letter Of The Week Archive

It really amazes me how trainers continually overlook Darren Gauci. Take last Saturday at Caulfield. Take Steve King out of the meeting and the combined CVs of the rest of the jockeys riding there, B. Rawiller and S. Arnold included, would struggle to match that of Gauci.
Yet the trainers and owners go home losers, blaming the jockeys for poor rides, then come next week they put them back on.
Trainers and owners are not very smart in Australia. We think the kids can ride, but you hit 40 and you’re finished.
Overseas you can’t beat experience or knowledge.
Oh yes, a kid will go for that run that isn’t there, and look what happens to your horse. They don’t respect their fellow riders or the wonderful animal under them.
The Gauch’s CV is one every jockey would love to own — two Newmarkets, a Lightning Stakes, two VRC Oaks, the AJC Oaks, Epsom, Doncaster, Stradbroke, the Thousand Guineas four times, a Caulfield Guineas, two C.F. Orrs, two Futurities, two Goodwoods, two Adelaide Cups.
Then there are those three races that with a bit of luck would have been his — three Melbourne Cup seconds.
He had to turn down Rogan Josh through his loyalty to the John Hawkes stable to ride Freemason, on whom he’d won a Group 1 three years earlier.
The Caulfield Cup? Beaten a nostril on Congressman.
The Cox Plate? Seconds and thirds including a third on Station Hand at 40/1 when he couldn’t make Octagonal’s weight — that was the day he rode a treble on Flavour, Juggler and Donar.
He rode El Segundo and hit the front four strides before the line when the warhorse Fields of Omagh got the bob, yet was sacked when the horse won the following year in a field five lengths inferior.
He missed a Slipper on Rory’s Jester through injury.
Yes, this was all a while ago but you don’t lose your talent or ability. It’s not like footballers, who get slower.
In Sydney Cassidy and Schofield (Glyn) are still very popular yet in Melbourne we say to “old” Olly and Boss your turn is coming fast if history is any guide.
Trainers are sheep, while jockeys only get on runs because they get the opportunities on the better horses. And when it turns they jump ship as quick as the trainers do.
But there is always one that is not only a great jockey but shows great loyalty. Even with all the backstabbers, the falls, the heartache of close finishes in the best races, he stays true to himself.
The Gauch is a great man.