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; 1 " t """""A, *-— -1-- California By Oscar Otis Africa Rider Plans Coast Campaign Durban Champ Tells Like for America LeRoy Setting Up Fiesta for Swaps HOLLYWOOD PARK, Inglewood, Calif., May 15. — An educated, suave, and polished citizen of South Africa is galloping horses on the backstretch these mornings 1 " ; to to accustom accustom himself himself to to American American t to to accustom accustom himself himself to to American American racing ways in preparation for his debut as a rjder "once he gets the feel of the track." Said citizen is James Percivel Michel Cayeux, of French lineage, a leading stakes rider in his home country, and who is in America "in the hopes that I may learn something new that will be of benefit to me in my career when I return home." Cayeux stopped by New York en route route to to Hollywood Hollywood Park Park to to get get *-— -1-- route route to to Hollywood Hollywood Park Park to to get get clearance from Marshall Cassidy of The Jockey Club, was automatically given a license by the Hollywood Park stewards. Cayeux, now 27, has won most every big stakes that South Africa has to offer at its three major racing centers, Durban, Capetown, and Johannesburg. "If I do all right here, so much the better, but if I dont, Ill still return home much the better and with that much more experience," explains Cayeux, "so no matter what, I cant lose on this trip." "Riding in South Africa approximates the American crouch style far more than it does the customs in England, Ireland, and France," adds Cayeux. "But what interests me the most is the American training methods. At home, we train mostly on the sand, but race exclusively on the grass. And while I hear you in California make only limited use of the beach, or seashore, for getting horses ready, we use the shores of the Indian Ocean as a regular training ground for horses ready to race, or for workouts spaced between races. In fact, so highly regarded is the beach that even in inland areas, not adjacent to good stretches of seashore, artificial conditions simulating beaches have been created by putting in, a footing of beach sand, crushed sea shells, and ash. Our times compare favorably with those in America, but not our weights. Here, horses seem to keep on winning and only pick up a few pounds. In South Africa, a horse almost automatically is penalized seven pounds for winning, and may be jumped a division in class as well. Our scale readily goes up to 10 stone, or 140 pounds. Train on Sand; Race on Grass "Ours is not a good grass country, but inasmuch as we race week ends the year round, and train on the sand, good grass courses can be maintained. Our racing follows the seasons, with meetings alternating between Capetown, Durban, and Johannesburg. I came to America with my manager, John Howe, through a lucky chain of circumstances. A retired Los Angeles businessman, Ben Saunders, was having a holiday in South Africa, saw me ride, and suggested that it might be a good idea if I visited California and tried my luck at Hollywood Park. As I say, I have everything to gain by this trip, and nothing to lose, for if my luck doesnt hold here, I can pick up where I left in Durban, as a leading stakes rider." It isnt strictly racing, but we cant help but mention the awe in which the rider and his manager hold the free and easy way of American life, where one man is as good as another. They explained that in South Africa, not only does Arpetheid, a super system of Jim Crow prevail, but that there are rigid class distinctions prevailing among the non-colored peoples, with the British holding to themselves, the Dutch, or Booers, to themselves, and still another caste, so to speak, of Moslems and Hindus from India. Mind you, these visitors are not speaking out against the system, because it is their country and they live there and love it, but they still expressed astonishment at the democracy they have found in the United States. This country may have its faults, but take it from our guests, youd have to go to another planet to find a better one. Hollywood to Salute Horse of the Year Upon receipt of the announcement of J. Samuel Perlman, editor and publisher of Daily Racing Form, that June 11 had been selected as the date for the presentation of the Horse of the Year oil painting, to Rex Ellsworth, owner of Swaps during the active racing career of this great California horse, Mervyn LeRoy, president of Hollywood Park, began a drive to make the presentation the high spot of a typical California turf fiesta. Plans are under way with owner Ellsworth to gallop and parade Swaps at Hollywood Park the next afternoon, and a Horse of the Year Purse, Triangle Publications Purse will be carded as the feature. We talked to trainer Meshach Tenney about vanning Swaps from the ranch at Chino, and he said he had no objections, in fact, would rather fancy the idea of showing the horse again to the people of California, because the horse has shown such magnificent improvement during the last few months. The only matter to straighten out is the insurance, as Swaps is only half insured, but co-owner John Galbreath had no objections to Swaps vanning over to Santa Anita last- winter, a trip during which the insurance I people flatly canceled the policy, or until Swaps had returned safely to Chino.
