BIG race today is the Hennessy Cognac Gold Cup at Newbury, and there are no Irish-trained runners. Two weeks ago, the Mackeson Gold Cup was run at Cheltenham (won by Jupiter Boy), and again, there were no Irish-trained runners.
On the front page, writer “Formor” raises the rather pessimistic issue: “Not the least of our problems for the new National Hunt season will be that of finding ’chasers worthy to contest the top-class cross-Channel events where the big money is to be won.”
The great Arkle is retired. Cheltenham Gold Cup holder Fort Leney has an injury which will probably rule him out until after Christmas, and Herring Gull is also injured, probably until next autumn.
“There is nothing remotely capable of filling Fort Leney’s shoes in the staying ’chaser handicap class,” writes “Formor”.
Also on the front page, English correspondent “Fleet Street” writes about two contrasting factors in British National Hunt racing this season.
The growth of commercial sponsorship of racing is heavily weighted towards steeplechasing rather than hurdling; and second, the growth in the number of novice hurdlers in training means that handicaps and all-aged hurdle races are gradually being replaced by novice events.
Troytown battle: Navan hosts racing on Saturday. The going is already heavy before racing starts, but more rain comes and reporter Dave Baker describes the conditions as “well-nigh bottomless”.
Feature race is one of the marquee events of Navan’s year, the Troytown Handicap Chase, over three miles, worth £862 to the winner. Eight go to post, and they are led home by Battle Dust. Carrying 9st 7lb, Battle Dust is an eight-year-old, and he beats Soltest and Vulture by six lengths and four lengths. Frankie Carroll rides the winner for trainer Willie Rooney. Battle Dust is a 100/7 shot.
The other steeplechase on the card is a two mile novice chase, and is won by Garrynagree, trained by Tom Dreaper and ridden by Pat Taaffe.
They beat Prince-of-Grena by four lengths, but Baker is impressed with both horses’ performances and marks them as horses who “will most assuredly make their name over the major obstacles and on faster ground the latter (Prince-of-Grena) will run even better.” Garrynagree is 9/4 favourite.
Baker adds: “So Mrs R.W. Whineray’s Garrynagree joins Stonedale and Straight Fort as part of a formidable young chasing team in Tom Dreaper’s yard.”
Another winning favourite is Craddoxtown, who is 2/1 favourite for the two mile Dunsany Handicap Hurdle, with 9/1 bar in a field of fifteen. Ridden by Tommy Carberry, and with 9st 7lb, Craddoxtown wins by a length and a half from top-weight No Resemblance.
The opening juvenile hurdle, over a mile and six furlongs, is won by St Jozef and Jackie Cullen. The Dunmoe Maiden Hurdle is won by Dolge Orlick and Mr Andrew Kavanagh; and the bumper goes to 6/4 favourite Dun Whinny, trained and ridden by Bunny Cox.
Baker’s final word is about the luncheon room. The course is visited by a party from Stratford racecourse; but: “less welcome was the reserving of well over half the lunch-room accommodation, the disappearance of many of the items off the menu and the queue outside the lunch-room door. Regulars are the back-bone of racing and this, indeed, is not the way to keep their patronage.”
Page 11 consists entirely of photographs of people attending Navan, including a photo of Anne Duchess of Westminster with trainer Willie O’Grady.
The majority of racegoers in the pictures are female. At the top of the page is a picture of a young boy in a warm coat with hood up, binoculars in hand.
The caption reads: “Master Richard Dunwoody, of Co Down, has ample protection against the elements.”
1968 Review: Statistics of the Irish 1968 flat season appear on page six in an article written by “a Special Correspondent.” They begin by pointing out the enormous prize money difference between the Irish Sweeps Derby and the rest.
The £55,340 first prize won by Ribero puts Fulke Johnson-Houghton as leading trainer in first prize money won, Ribot as leading sire, and Charles Engelhard as leading owner.
But the Special Correspondent writes that “their positions among the statistics for the year have little bearing on the pattern of the year as a whole.”
Noting the Epsom Derby-winning exploits of Sir Ivor, the writer describes Giolla Mear as “the Irish horse of the year”, winning four races in Ireland including the Irish St Leger, and he will remain in training next year. He also notes the irony of the export of the sire Hard Ridden to Japan, which was followed by the success of Giolla Mear.
Leading trainer: While Fluke Johnson-Houghton is leading trainer in first prize money won, the leading trainer in races won is Seamus McGrath with 36, earning £22,704. Vincent O’Brien wins 28 races and £26,607.
Leading jockey in races won is Johnny Roe, with sixty winners, followed by Liam Ward with 44 wins, and George McGrath with 41. But the Special Correspondent points out an anomaly: in Ireland in 1968, a total of 45 races carry first prize money of over £1,000. Roe wins one of these; however, Ward wins eight and McGrath wins six.
Leading apprentice is Christy Roche with 19 victories.
Further down the jockeys’ list is young Frank Berry, with three wins, from a grand total of eleven rides; but two of these wins are on Giolla Mear, including the Irish St Leger.
Holiday Time: Or is it? In her weekly “Passing Parade” column, writer “Pandora” decides to tackle the question of where Irish trainers go on their holidays - if they go on holidays at all!
“Voices spoke more in sorrow than in anger. Didn’t I know that trainers haven’t the time to take holidays, haven’t the money to take holidays. Who would carry on? Who would break in the yearlings. What would the owners have to say if the Boss was missing?”
“Pandora” hears the more successful trainers tend to take “working” holidays where they also meet and keep in contact with large owners, especially American ones. So she consults a trainer’s wife: “My husband would positively clout me one if I dared to mention holidays before January.” The wife adds: “When you marry a trainer you realise that he is already married to his horses.
“The best thing is to get them away on a cruise. We once went on a business trip to South Africa in January and there were seven other trainers on the ship, all thoroughly relaxed because there were no telephone calls or newspapers to remind them of their problems.”
Spanish Steps: Last Saturday, big race in England is the Black and White Gold Cup at Ascot, and this is won by Spanish Steps. This five-year-old gelding is bred by, owned by, and trained by Edward Courage. It’s a good day for his jockey, John Cook, who has a treble at Ascot.
News stories: A top official of America’s Jockeys’ Guild has stated that “riding horses in actual competition at a thoroughbred race track is far too dangerous a profession for a woman and also creates additional hazards for men.”
A short news piece tells how Nick Jemas, a former jockey, and now national managing director of the Guild, said that his statement was based on his experience, and not official policy.
At the recent Churchill Downs meeting, Penny Ann Early was granted a jockey’s licence by the Kentucky Racing Commission, but many jockeys refused to ride in races against her. Jemas added that since the Guild was formed in 1940, 82 jockeys have died in American racing. The story concludes: “Jemas said he believed a woman’s emotional make-up might hinder her in actual race competition.”
Other news from America is that Britain’s potential golfing superstar, Tony Jacklin, has finished 1968 in 29th place in the prize money list in America, winning $58,495 (about £24,370 sterling). Jacklin is aged 24, and won $20,000 (about £8,300 sterling) for his victory in the Jacksonville Open in March. This year’s overall money leader is Billy Casper, winning US$205,169.
Advertising: The classified ads page includes a box display ad reading: “Wanted. Residential Farm. Within 40 miles of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford. Approx 50/250 acres, out offices and good residence. Full details, please, to: Michael McGourty, Esq, 2505 University Avenue, Bronx, New York 10468, U.S.A.”