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JOCKEY GRAY A SENSATION Has a Blind Following in England and Is Classed with Tod Sloan. A new riding star has arisen in the English sporting firmament Hector Gray, a jockey, already rather old as ages go among riders, who, although a recent arrival from Xew Zealand, has scored twelve or more victories on English race courses. Gray has been placed in practically all of his engagements. Already he is being called a "new Sloan," and he bns cost the bookmakers a small fortune, since his blind followers are legion. He hns not always carried with him the bettors of his own country as was the ense with Slcan, the pioneer of the "monkey crouch." The bettors who won huge sums on the sensational successes of Sloan about 189S in many cases forgot to pay their losses when the equilibrium was re-established. It was on Snntoi, sire of our Sonvlens Toi, and a lot of good horses that the American followers of Sloan won such great sums. The writer recalls clearly the day when Santol won his first race at Xewmarket. After the race, in the flat occupied nt nil of the local meetings there by George Edwardes, the London theatrical producer, were gathered W. Blake, G. Simpson and Moreton, the trainer of the dead Humorist. Sloan dropped in for tea. J "I rode the best horse in England today," Sloan ! said. I Sloan at that time was as good a judge of horses as he was a jockey, a rare combination. On the strength of what he said about Santoi. the writer in the following year on the day of the Jubilees Stakes backed the liorse at 150 to 1. There may be some doubt whether Gray is such a good Judge. In any case lie said n few days ago at Xewmarket that Orpheus, on which he hud won an impressive double victory in the course of twenty-four hours, was a really great horse. It is to lx hoped that here the parallel with Sloan will end. Gray hns the most placid manner in the world. And it is not likely Hint he will emulate Sloan after a victory at Ascot by splitting the head of a waiter with a bottle of extra-dry. It will be remembered that it was Sloans custom to brandish the Star-Spangled Banner in the land of Americas future ally. Viator, in Le Jockey.
