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. . j . j SHOW SKILL IN RACE RIDING . Jockeys of Flat Racing Fame Do i Well in Steeplechasing. Vincent Powers in This Country. Archer, ! Maher and Wootton in England Notable Examples. In England more so than in this country notable riders on the flat often figure prom- . inently in races through the field. Vincent , Powers, one of Americas foremost riders on . the flat, made quite a name for himself in the steeplechase field after increasing weight ; forced him to retire from his former scenes of 1 activity. Frank Wootton, the noted Australian : jockey, who was one of Englands crack i riders for a number of years, enhanced his i fame when he took to the more dangerous , but fascinating sport over the jumps. Many , other great riders were fond of hunting and riding jumpers in their work. Among these were Fred Archer and Danny Maher, both of whim opined that riding horses through the field, even out of conten- tion, taught them more about equine pecul- iarities than flat-racing or its horse preparation. Gossiping in print on this point "William Allison, in the London Sportsman, wrote as follows : "Danny Maher was a good man over a country, as anyone who remembers him in the hunting field can vouch, but the delicacy and finesse of flat race riding constituted his metier, and it was really wonderful how he could win races on animals that would not give their running for anyone else. One such was Collet Monte, on which he won the Yorkshire Oaks quite easily, though she was a hopeless proposition even for a selling race if ridden by another jockey. "Frank Wootton could not win on Collet Monte nor at that time could anyone but Maher. In the following year at Doncaster they had her in a handicap at a weight which enabled Maher to ride her. She was well backed and Avon in a canter. She was not a naturally ungenerous mare, but had been through the mill at Foxhill as a two-year-old and they had to go through it there. The result was disastrous to many a high-strung two-year-old, and Collet Monte was one such. "I remember seeing her after she had been transferrd to Mr. Gorge Lambtons stable, and she ran round her horses like a hunted hare. There was nothing to use but patience and kindness. MAllERS EJlltOH "WITH APACHE. "Danny Maher was the only jockey who could gain her confidence. He was a wonder in this respect, and I never but once saw him fail in his self-restraint during a race. That was while he was riding Apache for the Alexandra Plate at Ascot in 1911. Apache was a good little horse indeed, and a rare stayer, but he was not fond of racing anywhere else except at Donctseer, but Maher tricked him into running for that Alexandra Plate, until he had as good as won it, halfway up the hill. The horse stayed for ever, and there was really no danger, except that Royal Realm put up a challenge which Maher may have thought dangerous. Anyhow, he picked up his whip and hit Apache, which proved fatal, for the little horse curled up at once and ran like a crab in the concluding stages. He was beaten by only about three-. quarters of a length, and that is the only injudicious race I ever saw Maher ride, if, indeed, we except Lemberg in the St. Leger. "It is somewhat, curious that though the Grand National would seem to present the greatest difficulties, it has been won several times by amateur horsemen by no means notable for their capacity. Mr. F. Hobson, Lord Manners and Count Kinsky may be mentioned. Lord Manners, in particular, was supposed to be so unlikely to remain in the saddle to the finish that a comparatively liberal price was laid against Seaman, which he rode. Mr. Hobson was probably better than he looked, and Count Kinslty was a good man enough to hounds, but the Aintree country is vastly more formidable, especially when it has to be covered at racing pace, with a big field of horses crossing together and falling in your way. Many thoroughly i capable professional jockeys have ridden again and again in the Grand National without winning. Such is luck !"
