The Jockeys

 

 

 

“When a jockey retires, he becomes just another little man.” -Eddie Arcaro, American jockey 

 

Roy Reed (1899-1936) & Ashley Reed (1898 – 1953)

 

In the telling of Roy Reed’s story, my heart breaks for his mother Mary.

 

Mary Hathaway may have guessed what she was signing up for when marrying jockey George Reed. But even in her worst nightmares could she have seen a life being so bumpy, so successful and ultimately, so utterly tragic? The Reeds raised four children Ashley, Roy, Maude and Con: All three boys became wonderful jockeys while Maude married popular jockey Billy Bell. By the time Nightmarch stormed to victory at Flemington in 1929, father George had already been killed aged 48 in a racing accident in 1918. A few years later their youngest son Con died from head injuries sustained in a fall at Taumarunui in 1924. He was only 22 and a potential superstar of the sport. Hall of Fame jockey and champion trainer, Maurice McCarten was among the pallbearers. Billy Bell died of pneumonia in 1935 after retiring from the saddle to become a farmer.

 

After Nightmarch returned to New Zealand the partnership with Louisson, McAuley and Roy Reed continued to be successful, winning the New Zealand Cup, Canterbury Cup and James Hazlett Gold Cup. They only lost the G.G. Stead Gold Cup by a half head to Derby winner Cylinder ridden brilliantly by often suspended Hector Grey. Quiet by nature, Reed had many friends among his fellow jockeys, trainers and owners. In March 1936, Reed was riding Manawatu Cup winner Hunting Cat when they fell in the running of the President’s Handicap at Trentham. Reed accidently tripped on the heels of Hawkes Bay Cup winner Big Dook ridden by Bert Morris six furlongs from the winning post[18] and suffered horrific head injuries; dying later in Wellington Hospital.[19]  He left a wife and baby son Con, named after his deceased younger brother: Roy Reed was only 36 years old.  Roy’s mother Mary Reed buried a husband and two sons to one of the most exciting, dangerous and, in this case, ultimately lethal occupations on the face of the earth.

 

Oldest son Ashley Reed was an even more successful jockey riding 1938 Caulfield-Melbourne Cup winner, The Trump to victory. He also steered Gothic for Lou Robertson and Sol Green in their first of two successive Newmarket Handicap wins on that amazing horse. Two Cantala Stakes on Gay Lover (1936) and Mystic Peak (1930), Epsom Handicap on Cathmar (1930) along with a New Zealand Cup in 1917 on Memelaus. Reed held riding retainers from both Alexander Creswick and Sol Green.[20] After three decades of riding Ashley Reed felt he was being driven from the sport due to VRC officialdom gone mad. During a suspension it was expected of Reed to ride track work, which he did not wish to do. Because of this, the VRC did not renew his licence until he complied.[21] Taking a year off to work in his wife Veronica’s Kensington hotel, Ashley Reed eventually did renew his riding licence to disastrous effect. He was nearly killed in 1941 when his horse Ellison fell in the Epsom Cup at Mentone, leaving spinal injuries and was fortunate not to end up in a wheelchair for the remainder of his life or dead.[22]  In a spooky coincidence, the accident occurred on the anniversary of his brother Con’s fatal accident.[23] 

 

Reed took out a training licence and proved to be a much better jockey than a trainer. However, it was not for lack of effort as his training was being ably assisted by some heavy hitters. Eric Connolly, breeder Les Aldridge, Darcy Eccles, owner of The Trump, and Lou Robertson were all very close friends, and all made huge betting wins over the years due to Reed’s skilful riding.  As far as returning a favour goes, these men did their level best to ensure Ashley Reed would be successful in his new career. They arranged for Reed to have his first winner, the Caithness sired filly Lady Sinclair.  The horse should have gone to the yearling sale, and probably would have made Aldridge a healthy price but on Lou Robertson’s urging, Aldridge instead hung onto the horse.  The men gave her to Ashley Reed on which to practice his training skills. Despite having some of the best horse brains in Australia helping, his training career never really took off.[24] Reed died of a heart attack at the age of only 55 in 1953.[25] He was viewed by his peers Jim Pike, Billy Duncan, Frank Dempsey, Darby Munro, Maurice McCarten and Harold Badger as one of the best riders ever to grace the Australian turf. The next obvious question: Why isn’t Ashley Reed in the Australian Racing Hall of Fame? If you are going to remember great jockeys, I would suggest Ashley Reed is well overdue for some belated recognition.

 

Ken Bracken (1894 – 1947)

 

Ken Bracken recorded his memoirs in late 1935, spilling the beans on many of his owners and fellow jockeys. He was a remarkable and highly underrated rider. Those who understood riding, rated him with Bobby Lewis and Jim Pike in balance and race smarts.  He started his apprenticeship with Jerome Carey, winning the 1920 Melbourne Cup on Poitrel. Due to bets and bonus, Bracken managed to pick up an extra £3,000 in the process.[26] He won an AJC St Leger on Millieme and the memorable 1926 Futurity Stakes on English import Top Gallant when he donkey walloped a star studded field which included Heroic, Manfred, The Hawk and Fuji San on the way to a race record.  He rode sprinter Woorak in the 1915 AJC Epsom Handicap and picked up a £2,000 bonus for that win.[27] But his greatest victories should have been on Amounis except suspension robbed him of those rides. By his own admission, it cost him a fortune.

 

Following his second place on Soulton in the 1930 Caulfield Cup, the riding of Bracken went from strength to strength. One of the largest gamblers of the day, Bill Tindall, backed the sprinter Mollison heavily for the 1931 VRC Newmarket Handicap. Unfortunately, in a close finish, Mollison came third behind industrialist William Sydney Robinson’s Parkwood and Greenline. Had Mollison won, it would have provided Bracken with the biggest payday of his career. In his later riding years, Bracken fought weight problems, officialdom and to a very large degree, became his own worst enemy. 

Increasingly disenchanted with riding, Ken Bracken was suspended again for a month after a careless riding charge in January 1934.[28] No sooner was he back he saw himself suspended for a further month on yet another careless riding charge.[29] This resulted in missing the lucrative autumn carnival including riding Foursome to victory in the 1934 Newmarket Handicap and Heroic Prince to an Australian Cup.[30] He finally gave racing away when he was suspended again. After he gave the Sporting Globe his memoirs in 1935, he went to work in a factory. Bracken developed an early onset of dementia and by the early 1940’s was institutionalised in Melbourne’s psychiatric facility Royal Park Receiving Home where he died, after a few well publicised escapes, in 1947. Ken Bracken was only 53 years old.[31]  He is another jockey who should be receiving closer attention from the committee inducting past racing stars into their Hall of Fame.

 

Billy Cook (1910 – 1985)

 

Billy Cook was a little better than just a good jockey. Accumulating nearly 2500 winners from having ridden all over the globe, his riding skills were appreciated in Europe and India just as much as in Australia. While he won 6 jockey premierships in Sydney, Cook managed to come runner up on ten other occasions. His list of Group 1 wins is nothing short of astonishing.

 

Even though Amounis would be Billy Cook’s only Caulfield Cup victory, he was destined to steer home two Melbourne Cup winners. The son of Marabou, a 1935 winner, Skipton in 1941 and a few years later, the wonderful South Australian mare Rainbird that came second in the Caulfield Cup that year. Cook’s trophy cabinet included two AJC and two VRC Derbies and Oaks along with two Sydney Cups, Crucis (1929) and Carioca (1953 – a horse Cook considered the best horse he ever rode. [32] Not surprising, by the time Cook finished his partnership with Carioca, they managed 16 wins.[33] Cook acquired a worldwide reputation of being able to snaffle the last race on the program. He possessed a mutant ability to chalk up a last race winner no matter the odds. “Last race Cookie” or “Last race Billy”.[34]as he was often referred to, gave a glimmer of hope through the 40’s and 50’s to impoverished punters trying desperately to salvage something of their wretched afternoon at the races.

 

Billy Cook died in 1985 and was deservedly inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2002. In a bit of racing trivia, Cook had the strange quirk of never cutting his nails on the morning of race days.[35]  See if that fact ever comes up in your lifetime.[36]  His son Peter Cook also enjoyed a wonderful career in the saddle, scoring two Melbourne Cup winners – Lloyd Williams’ first of seven Melbourne Cup victories, Just A Dash trained by Tommy Smith in 1981 and George Hanlon trained Black Knight in 1984.[37]  

 

Jim Pike (1893 – 1969)

 

Jim Pike once famously received some sound, if not hypocritical, advice. It was estimated Eric Connolly, ex-bookie, horse breeder and owner of Underbank, Sol Green and his trainer Lou Robertson were set to take thousands of pounds out of the ring with their Futurity win by Gothic in 1928. What was making the bookies even more nervous was the very real prospect of being further slaughtered by Gothic winning the following week in Australasia’s premier sprint, the Newmarket Handicap. These upcoming races had owner, trainer and super punter, all circling the bookies like sharks gliding ceaselessly around a leaky lifeboat.  Beyond their Futurity/Newmarket doubles, all three heavy hitters had again secured themselves healthy odds well ahead of the mob flooding the market trying to back Gothic. Their jockey, Jim Pike loved riding Gothic and even after Strephon and Phar Lap, depending on which day you spoke to him, declared Gothic and Phar Lap the best horses he had ridden[38]. Pike also loved gambling and drinking. In fact, if the truth be known, Jim Pike may have loved drinking and gambling on horses, golf and cards far more than he ever enjoyed riding. Mainly due to the torturous wasting required for Pike to remain riding for as long as he did.

 

Sol Green heard his champion jockey had just placed a £75 bet on Gothic for a win in the Newmarket Handicap. Disappointed, Green offered his jockey some fatherly advice. For an ex-bookmaker, Green had a strange aversion to seeing those closest to him gamble and suggested to his champion jockey he should not have done it. Jim Pike defiantly told Green he wished he could have put £10,000 on if he had the money. With a hand on his jockey’s shoulder, Green replied, “Jim, I’d like you to remember how I made my money and got where I am today.  It all came from mugs like you backing horses.”[39]  Must have been a comfort to know if it ever went pear shaped racing horses for Sol Green, he could always try his hand as a motivational speaker. Needless to say, Pike was more than a little miffed considering owner, trainer and trainer’s mate, super punter Connolly all bet like they had their own printing press going 24/7 out the back. Unfortunately, in this instance, history would prove Sol Green correct with regards Pike. Almost as soon as his brilliant career ended, twin addictions of gambling and drinking drove him into a grinding poverty and an obscure, inglorious death in October 1969.[40]

 

Jim Pike started his city career with Randwick trainer Bill Kelso, possibly one of the best as well as one of the shiftiest trainers in an era when “shifty” was a badge of honour. Like Lou Robertson, Dave Price, Ike Earnshaw and Peter Riddle, so too did Kelso start out with trotters. It made him an exceptionally good horseman and trainer of not just horses but jockeys. Pike career hit a bit of a hiccup even before it started when suspended for 12 months for lying to AJC stewards. The minimum age for a riding licence was thirteen. The twelve-year-old Pike told the powers to be he was thirteen. The powers to be ensured he really was thirteen by the time he started his career.

 

Pike quickly developed into a wonderful hands and heels rider of rare balance and incredible race smarts. His riding was nothing short of sublime. Jim Pike openly professed that he loathed using a whip on a horse. Many racing commentators were surprised that Pike was not included into the inaugural Hall of Fame inductees in 2001 but was included in 2002. Nearly every rider of the era acknowledged Pike as being possibly the greatest they had seen. Beyond his 30 rides on Phar Lap, the list of horses Pike rode to victory are some of the greatest horses known to Australian racing. The cruel fact is that Pike would have scored many more rides but missed out later in his career due to weight.  

 

As time went on, every year became harder than the last with his weight becoming more and more an issue. Nearly all his career Jim Pike struggled with weight until it was nigh impossible for him to be constantly wasting. The main reason why Jim Pike kept riding until his body was on the point of collapse was due to his chronic gambling and drinking. By his own admission he knew that he could have retired in comfort but like many others exiting the racing game, he had given most of it back to the bookies and then some. Pike tried his hand at training but was never successful.  His later years were hard. Plagued by poverty and ill health, Pike developed tuberculosis and broke his hip two years before his death at 76.[41] His last years were spent in considerable pain.

Bobby Lewis (1878 – 1947)

 

Bobby Lewis passed away at his home in Glenroy on the 31^st March 1947 after a long illness. This line was carried in most papers of Australia, New Zealand and racing countries around the world. Lewis was quite simply seen at the time of his death as the best jockey Australia has produced. He still shares the record for having ridden the most Melbourne Cup winners[42] and probably would have held that record outright had he ridden Phar Lap properly in 1929. This is on top of his eight Victorian Derby wins, seven AJC Derbies, eight VRC St. Legers, nine VRC Ascot Vale Stakes, seven VRC Oaks[43] and five Fisher Plates.[44] A handy record by any measure.

 

Bobby Lewis left school at ten almost illiterate.[45] A century later, he is still viewed as one of the very best jockeys we have ever produced. He won his first race at 14 and by the time he completed his last ride, boasted a riding career that extended over 46 years.[46] It is a phenomenal performance. A vast majority of those victories came from his close connection with trainer James Scobie and wealthy owner Ernest “E.E.D.” Clarke. This trio made a formidable team, yet they only captured the 1927 Melbourne Cup with Trivalve after 30 years. On the other hand, they captured most group one and feature races around Australia multiple times. Both Lewis and James Scobie are inaugural inductees into Racing Hall of Fame. No member of the Clarke family has been inducted but, they probably should be.

 

Bobby Lewis was only suspended once in his very long career at Randwick and from the point of view of many judges at the time, was probably stiff to be rubbed out at all. Unlike many of his fellow jockeys, even in his advancing years, the scales were his friend. For Jim Pike and many other jockeys over the journey where shedding weight became a daily torture, Lewis appears to have been genetically spliced with a string bean. It made him no less addicted to the Turkish bath but unlike most jockeys, it was useful, relaxing, more than being essential. Apart from one famous bout in the Turkish baths to shed a few extra pounds to ride Trivalve for Ernest Clark in the Melbourne Cup, Lewis remained incredibly battle trim for the duration of his riding life. He was also exceedingly fortunate not to have been injured. While many friends and peers fell by the wayside with weight problems, injured so badly they were forced from the sport or worse, killed, Bobby Lewis led an exceedingly charmed existence. And even though rides like Phar Lap sometimes cast a shadow over his integrity, almost as much as his close well-known friendship with Eric Connolly, Lewis was a fantastic horseman. Fearless, extraordinary balance, soft hands employing a long reign and arguably some of the best race smarts displayed by any jockey, Bobby Lewis deserves to be recognised as a glorious rider and an inaugural inductee into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame.

 

Neville Percival (1899 – 1997)

 

Born in a small Western Australian town of Karridale, Neville Percival rose among the ranks of jockeys to be one of the most widely travelled and in demand lightweight riders in Australia. In the process of riding in Australia, South Africa, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and India, he managed to chalk up over 3,000 winners after finishing his long career in India.

 

Like all successful jockeys, Percival seemed immune to pain receiving his fair share of falls and fractures along his journey. He won his first WA Derby in 1921 on Easingwold and the following year snaffled the WA jockey’s premiership.[47] Lured east by some large riding retainers and the offer for good mounts in the rich Sydney and Melbourne spring carnivals, Percival rode Lou Robertson’s Naos into second place a half-length behind Spearfelt for the 1926 Melbourne Cup. Between Phar Lap’s 1930 Melbourne Cup and Peter Pan’s first win in 1932, Percival rode White Nose to victory in the 1931 Hotham Handicap and the Cup. White Nose won the Melbourne Cup carrying only 43.6 kilograms against Phar Lap going for his second Melbourne Cup in a row being asked to carry a massive 68 kilos. Or in other measurement, an extraordinary 53 pounds above White Nose. Coming down the Carbine sire line through Pistol and 1920 Port Adelaide Cup winner Paratoo[48], White Nose would be Percival’s only successful Melbourne Cup ride.[49]  He later won the 1935 Caulfield Cup on Palfresco, managing to ensure Keith Voitre and Lou Robertson only had a great spring carnival rather than a perfect one. Ace New Zealand jockey Voitre and Hall of Fame trainer Robertson went on to win the Cox Plate (Garrio), VRC Derby (Feldspar), Melbourne Cup (Marabou), VRC Oaks (Nalda) and Williamstown Cup (Garrio) in 1935.[50]

 

In a moment of being hoisted with his own petard, Lou Robertson, a good friend and mentor to Percival suggested to trainer Claude Brown that he use the skilled jockey for his 50/1 Caulfield Cup runner, Palfresco. This suggestion also came back to Brown, who was training for St. Kilda hairdresser Sam Kent (who was leasing Palfresco from Sol Green). Palfresco had been bred by Lou Robertson’s brother international bloodstock Andrew who imported Son o’Mine, sired by Son-in-Law. It turned out to be an expensive suggestion by Robertson for as favours go, this one certainly came back to bite him. Had Sol Green not given up racing for three years, Lou Robertson probably should have been training Palfresco himself.    

 

In stark contrast to the beautiful hands and heels riding styles of Jim Pike and Keith Voitre, who rarely laid a whip on their mounts, Percival had no compunctions in giving his rides a good thrashing if he believed they were not putting in a maximum effort. He also developed a reputation, which never really left him, of being something of a nine-volt battery specialist.[51] It was never proven but when his 50/1 mounts came flying home with their hair standing on end, the rumours mill flew into overdrive.    

 

Later Neville Percival travelled to South Africa, Ceylon and India, riding for among others, the Aga Khan. Although highly accomplished as a jockey, he was not quite as successful as a husband. Carrying on an open affair, he was rightly hauled into court and forced to pay his wife Lucie maintenance.[52] Neville Percival passed away aged 98 and is yet to be inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. Despite having a reputation of thrashing his mounts to mincemeat and being nicknamed “The Jigger” for his rumoured fondness of electricity, for a jockey to have ridden over 3,000 winners, it remains a well overdue honour.  

 

Scobie Breasley (1914 – 2006)

 

By the assessment of most commentators and racing experts, Scobie Breasley was Australia’s greatest and most successful jockey. Being the first person inducted into the racing Hall of Fame when it opened for business in 2001 and third inductee behind Phar Lap and Bart Cummings to be elevated up to legend status would attest to his skill and standing. Starting out with Pat Quinlan, he soon became everybody’s favourite hoop with an incomparable style of riding. Innately kind to his horses, Breasley seemed to possess more cunning and infinitely more patience than his fellow jockeys. Never appearing to panic, Breasley would rarely be drawn to the outside no matter how congested the rail. Being able to save every molecule of his horse’s energy, invariably his judgement would be rewarded.  

 

Born at Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Scobie Breasley won virtually every important race in Australia bar one – the Melbourne Cup where he failed despite sixteen attempts. After winning the Victorian Jockey’s Premiership four times, he travelled to England in 1951. From 1953 onwards he became one of England’s top jockeys, taking out the premiership three times in a row from 1961 and again in 1967. This included riding 100 winners every year between 1955 and 1969.[53]  As so eloquently stated by that wonderful writer, the late Les Carlyon, "Never were a man and horse more at one than when Scobie slipped into the saddle.”

 

Breasley won his first English Derby on Santa Claus in 1964 and a second on Charlottetown two years later. He became one of Queen Elizabeth II’s favourite jockeys and rode regularly for legendary trainer Vincent O’Brien. He took out four jockey premierships while riding in Great Britain, including three in a row between 1961 and 1963.[54]  From 1955 to his retirement in 1969, Breasley managed to chalk up over 100 winners in each of those seasons. The most successful Victorian jockey receives the Scobie Breasley medal. After retiring from the saddle, Scobie Breasley tried his hand unsuccessfully at training. He died of a stroke days before Christmas, 2006.

 

 

 

[18] Auckland Star 30 March 1936, page 8

[19] Northern Advocate 18 March 1936, page 9

[20] Sporting Globe, 3 January 1942, page 2

[21] Headline Hoops of Yesterday by Ray Simmonds (this is an excellent book for anyone interested in the careers of famous jockeys)

[22] The Argus 10 December 1941, page 10

[23] Sporting Globe, 3 January 1942, page 2

[24] The Herald 15 December 1947, page 13

[25] The Daily Telegraph 11 June 1953, page 43

[26] The Daily Telegraph 1 November 1944, page 19 – It was often reported as £4,000 but according to Bracken in his memoirs, it was £3,000.

[27] Sporting Globe 28 December 1935, page 6

[28] Labour Daily 22 January 1934 page 2

[29] Cootamundra Herald 28 February 1934, page 4

[30] Sporting Globe 14 March 1934, page 1

[31] The Sun, 2 March 1947, page 4

[32] Headline Hoops of Yesterday by Ray Simmonds

[33] Ibid

[34] The Truth 8 May 1949, page 8

[35] Sporting Life, October 1947, page 26

[36] Sporting Life

[37] Wikipedia

[38] Sport, 27 April 1933, page 4 “Jim Pike’s Opinion”

[39] Hickie, David “Gentlemen of the Australian Turf” –Chapter 10, page 99 & Hutchinson, Garrie (Editor) “”They’re Racing! – The Complete Book of Australian Racing” page 106

[40] Extract from “The Oyster & the Wizard” by dp robertson 2018

[41] Sydney Morning Herald 8 October 1969, page 17

[42] Both Lewis and Harry White rode 4 Melbourne Cup winners

[43] Advertiser 1 April 1947, page 4

[44] Australian Dictionary of Biography

[45] Betsfree.com.au

[46] Advertiser 1 April 1947, page 4

[47] Headline Hoops of Yesterday – Ray Simmons page 125

[48] Paratoo, named after one of their properties, owned and trained by Hugh McLachlan also won the 1922 VATC Coongy Handicap.

[49] White Nose was owned and bred by Scottish born Hugh Patterson (H.P.) McLachlan, founder and head of one of the most successful pastoral families in Australia. Now owning over 3.5 million hectares, spread over South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales, makes the family owned $300 million Jumbuck Holdings one of the largest landowners and woolgrowers in Australia. Their four generation influence has extended throughout state and federal politics and commerce for well over 100 years. Ian McLachlan, President of the Farmer’s Association was Defence Minister in John Howard’s government. The family have donated and supported the Australian Liberal Party for a very long time.  Knowing this family’s very close ties with the Liberal Party makes perfect sense when AFL CEO Gil McLachlan can phone up Immigration Minister Dutton for his cousin’s French au pair to be granted a visa to stay in Australia and it’s sorted within the hour. Like many in this story, if you are going to support something, the very least you can do is benefit from doing so. What this McLachlan family does demonstrate is just what four generations of hard work can achieve.

[50] Marabou came third behind Palfresco in the Caulfield Cup.

[51] Daily News 28 August 1930, page 1

[52]  Mirror 1 November 1947, page 1

[53] Museum of the Riverina

[54] Museum of the Riverina