An interesting discussion took place recently among racing’s diehards concerning the subject, why so few jockeys turn to training when they retire from riding?

It’s an interesting subject; there can be many reasons why jockeys turn their backs when training is mentioned.

The retiring age of jockeys is generally the mid forties, if they can last that long, it can be a very strenuous life; it’s not as glamorous as some may think.

By the time a jockey finally retires he is sick of racing, he is raced out, the glamour has gone, all he wants is to live a normal life and see his family grow up, there is more to life than riding horses.

Those that do take up training are in the minority, they are late starters, in reality they have lost touch with stable life, even the very best jockeys have found it hard to make the transition from riding to training.

Even retired jockeys are seldom seen at the races, Ron Hutchinson, aged 90, would be the exception, he comes from Mornington regularly, and Brian Gilders admitted it was years since he was at Flemington last.

However, it is not isolated though, it is worldwide, the leading jockeys that have enjoyed success on the track have never bothered to train.

The only two candidates here are likely to be Maurice McCarten, and Angus Armanasco, both were gentleman and each were held in high esteem.

McCarten was an ex New Zealander, he came over to ride Limerick, a very good weight for age horse in the twenties, he won the Sydney jockeys premiership in 1938-39, and champion trainer four times until a fellow known as T J Smith came along, he was premier trainer for 33 years in succession.

A number of good horses out of the Wansey Road stables, Columnist. Delta, Empire Link , Deep River, Todman, his brother Noholme, Wenona Girl, Prince Cortauld, just to name a few.        

Angus Armanasco was premier jockey for some years in Perth, before coming to Melbourne where he trained at Caulfield in the stable vacated by Frank Godby.

It was ironical that Stanley Wootton should choose Maurice McCarten and Angus Armanasco to train his horses, he did not have a great number in work, but it was a select group.

McCarten received Todman, and his full brother Noholme, from Stanley Wootton, whilst Angus wasn’t left out either, he received Star of Heaven, Longwood and Shifnal.

Winx, what could be said that hasn’t been said? she is the modern day equine phenomena.

Saturday’s performance in the Ryder Stakes was a superlative performance on a bog track, rated a heavy 10, the official margin seven and a quarter lengths, she simply revelled in the going, the track didn’t hinder her.

Winx is in a class of her own, a remarkable mare, the accolades continue to flow, crowds have adopted her as if she was their own, she is good for racing and it’s promotion, which is badly needed.

She has now earned $10,432,925 in stakes, a win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick would get her within striking range of Makybe Diva’s record of $14,526,685, however, that may have to wait as she is only likely to have one more run this campaign.

Her sire, Street Cry, has since been elevated to second on the sires list to Snitzel, he needs Winx if he is going to repeat his win of last season.

Winx winning the Ryder Stakes

James McDonald is seeking a lower penalty imposed upon him for placing a bet on the horse Astern, he will now go to the Racing Appeals Tribunal.

He has ruined a prestigious and a lucrative career for a mere few dollars that he will regret for the remainder of his life.

Whilst his initial appeal was dismissed, it was not unanimous, with the Chairman disagreeing with the fellow members of the panel that heard that appeal.

If the appeal favours suspension, in preference to disqualification, McDonald would be permitted to ride track work and partake riding in barrier trials.

Whether he would be exonerated by his employer, Shelkh Mohmmed, only time will tell.    

Sircconi gave trainer, Peter Morgan, a welcome change of luck when he led for much of the trip, to record a narrow victory in the Group 2 Sire’s Produce Stakes.

The colt was a maiden, until he put his best foot forward, making most of the play to scrape in by the narrowest of margins, a short half head.

Sircconi was working his way into a win after finishing second to Eshtiraak at Sandown a couple of weeks ago, and started a warm favourite at Flemington.

Eshtiraak was a short priced favourite, punters could see no further than him after winning at his last three outings.

No excuses could be made for him, Damian Oliver had him perched up in a winning position, he simply failed to go on, he may have had enough for the present..

Linda Meech hasn’t received the opportunities since Peter Moody retired, however, the skills are still there as was shown in a tight finish.

Trainer Peter Morgan has been absent in Melbourne of late, this win will give him a lot of confidence.

He was a former jockey in Adelaide where he stood his ground with the stewards, when it was suggested he should have a haircut, the occasion was at Victoria Park, when stewards stood him down thirty minutes before the last race because he refused.

Sircconi winning the Sires Produce Stakes

Flemington crowd down

Super Saturday was not that super at Flemington on Saturday, again the attendances were down from 21,729 last year, to 17,993 on a perfect day, good horses made for good racing, but not everybody thought the same.    

There needs to be some soul searching to find a reason, or is there one? The pub tabs and casinos are not complaining, and there is no entrance fee, food and liquor prices could be in for some attention.

I Am A Star wins Kewney

Iam a Star, there is no disputing that, her star shone brightly at Flemington when she won the time honoured Group2 Kewney Stakes at head quarters.

The filly was no good thing at the distance, however, she had Dean Yendell on top and he doesn’t know the meaning of defeat.

Mornington is home to the filly where she is trained by Shane Nichcols, she seldom puts in an ordinary run, she is a model of consistency.

“That was gutsy, that one she had the run of the race and then the length of the straight to pull that off, she didn’t give in did she, “said Shane Nichols.  

She has a special place in her trainer’s heart, she never stops trying, nor does her rider Dean Yendell, if there is anything left in he will get it out.

He has come up the hard way, it was never handed to him on a plate, he had to go and get it, he is a credit to the riding profession.

A winner at Flemington on Saturday, a double at Mildura on Sunday, and back at Moonee Valley on Monday.

The Kewney Stakes has Group status as it should have, named in honour of A V Kewney who served the Victoria Racing Club as secretary from 1925 to 1946, on his retirement he was presented with a silver tray with the name of each committee man inscribed in long hand on the well earned trophy.

I Am A Star winning Kewney Stakes 

Redkirk Warrior blows them away

Redkirk Warrior won a race at Sandown back in November, but surely nobody in their wildest dreams would believe he could blow a field away as he did in the Newmarket Handicap.

He was first up since November, he won as if he had just joined in the field 100 metres out, he made good horses look quite inferior.

It is now the Doncaster with $3 million up for grabs, the reverse way shouldn’t be a concern for him, he is adaptable to the reverse way of going as he has won in Hong Kong.

Star Turn made the majority of the pace in the early running with Extreme Choice never far away on the outside, and Redkirk Warrior near the rail and running well, but little notice taken of him.

Most were waiting for the swoopers they didn’t turn up and Star Turn looked to have it on a plate, Extreme Choice was going nowhere, until a rocket from space, in the form of Redkirk Warrior, blew the field away.    

No excuses for the beaten brigade, Sheidel was there and so was Super Cash for a while and The Quarterback didn’t see which way they went, Voodoo Lad came into the race when it was over.

Redkirk Warrior will now go to Sydney, there will be no rider change, Regan Bayliss will be the pilot, he will keep the saddle warm.

Redkirk Warrior winning in a breeze

Equal favourites run 1-2 in Aust. Cup

There was little between equal favourites, Humidor and Jameka, and little in the finish with the Darren Weir gelding Humidor scoring by a long neck.

It was a solidly run race, Ecuador making sure of that before surrendering on the home turn, it was left to Jameka to bring the runners into the straight.

Reminiscent of her run in the Caulfield Cup she was under a full head of steam in the stretch, and looking like a winner.

Flemington is a long straight, she had been there before, but as was seen, the horse she shared favouritism with, Humidor, was beginning to close quickly.

Jameka never gave in, nor did Humidor, he had the better of the mare by a long neck, Exospheric was third, there are sure to be excuses for the unplaced brigade, the most plausible, not good enough.

Humidor defeating Jameka in Aust. Cup        

Gentleman jockey, Jack Purtell, has passed away quietly in Queensland, aged 95 years.

He was a quiet man, there was nothing ostentatious about Jack, he was the perfect example of a gentleman that could never be questioned.

Back in the thirties trainers didn’t want apprentices, nor did owners; they were only a means of cheap labour.

Jack had visions of becoming a jockey like Jim Pike or Darby Munro, he walked the streets of Mordialloc and nearby Epsom, there were no takers, trainers could hardly feed the labour they had, there was no room for any more.

He was about to give up when he knocked on the door of Ted Temby, he was about to say no when a tear appeared in Jack’s eye, Temby didn’t want to break down as well so Jack had a job.

The senior jockeys at that time received the bulk of the race riding, apprentices rode track work, mucked out boxes and did all the various other chores that goes with stable life, while race riding was very restricted, owners wanted the senior jockeys to ride their horses in races.

Ted Temby described Jack as a lovely young man, he was like a son to him, however, breaking him in as a jockey was not easy, the stable was short of a good horse.

It was neighbouring trainer, Sid Ferguson, who gave the young jockey his first big break, when he was engaged to ride Velocity in the Caulfield Cup.

He was thrust into the major league, now including visiting riders from Sydney, Jack Thompson. Billy Cook, Maurice McCarten, Fred Shean, Neville Sellwood, and the master himself, Darby Munro.

Velocity won that Caulfield Cup by a head from Reading, while Evergreen was third, the favourite, Lucrative, ridden by Maurice McCarten finished seventh.

Jack rode the first of his three Melbourne Cups winners 1947, the grey Hiraji for F W Hughes, a major businessman with huge property holdings in New South Wales, plus a stud, raced several horses but seldom bothered going to the races.

He missed out riding his second Melbourne Cup winner in 1950 when he preferred Alister as his mount to Comic Court, who was ridden by Pat Glennon who won easily by three lengths.

Jack had ridden Comic Court the previous year, believing he was not a genuine stayer and Alister had won the Derby well by three lengths ridden by Reg Heather, but he could make the Cup weight, owner, Bill Ballock, knew that, hence Purtell was approached and accepted.

At this stage Jack had formed a close association with V R C committee E A Underwood, three years later the partnership won the Melbourne Cup with Wodalla.

He won the Cup the following year on Rising Fast under unusual circumstances, when an owner had sacked a jockey for winning a race.

When Rising Fast arrived from New Zealand, his owner, L R Spring, booked Bill Williamson to ride the gelding throughout the horse’s spring campaign.

Williamson had won three weight for age races on Rising Fast, leading into the Caulfield Cup he was a raging favourite at 7-4.

Then it all went hay wire when Williamson had a fall in the Thousand Guineas from Impartial, and broke his foot and was out for the entire spring, a replacement rider had to be found for Rising Fast.

The substitute rider was Arthur Ward, a highly capable jockey from Sydney, Rising Fast won the Caulfield Cup by three quarters of a length, however, instead of applauding Ward for his ride, Mr Spring was critical, that was the only time Arthur Ward ever rode Rising Fast.

Spring immediately engaged Jack Purtell to ride Rising Fast for the remainder of the spring; they combined to win four races, including the Cox Plate, giving Jack Purtell his third Melbourne Cup victory.

I am not sure how Jack Purtell would rate Rising Fast, I’m sure it would be very high, he was the toughest horse seen since Phar Lap, Rising Fast won seven Group 1 races over a period of 35 days.

Jack Purtell was a great ornament to racing, over a very long period as a jockey he was only suspended once.

It was common for our jockeys to ride in England during the sixties in the off season, here Pat Glennon had the most success, Scobie Breasley trained on in the UK, Ron Hutchinson stayed on and rode several winners, and Jack Purtell was among classic winners when he won the Oaks on Long Look for Vincent O’Brien in 1965.

On retirement from racing Jack Purtell had no visions of taking out a trainer’s license, he had memories of the hardships his old boss Ted Temby had to endure training, it was no life of luxury, the only success in racing, being a jockey and a trainer was the late Maurice McCarten.

Jack Purtell won seven premierships in Melbourne, and on retirement from racing he joined the Victorian Racing Club’s panel of stewards for some years, before final retirement in Queensland.

He will be remembered as a great jockey, a good person and a highly respected man.

Rising Fast ridden by Jack Purtell