Gai Waterhouse, Rachel King and a flashback to Linda Jones were features of “International Women’s Day” celebrating what is regarded as the fight concerning equality, rights, and empowerment for what was known as a weaker gender.
Very few pursuits were and are as demanding as thoroughbred racing. Riding? Where else do females match males. Even embarking on training, they once faced a mission verging on impossible.
One of the great horse people Waterhouse again emphasised her excellence at Royal Randwick, International Women’s Day, and King, adding the global touch in recent months, was very much to the fore while Jones, a New Zealander, made the major Australasian break-through for saddle parity back in 1979.
Due to a blonde lass riding winners over there against the men when it was in the as scarce as hen teeth, I headed to Wellington for the New Zealand Derby and yearling sales.
After seeing Jones in action on the winner, Holy Toledo, my Sun-Herald story headlined that female jockeys could be just as good as the men.
When endeavouring to get a licence, Jones was told by the authorities “she was too old, married and not strong enough”. By gee, she was good, later proved in the big league, Australia. Now she is Linda Jones, MBE, for her services to racing.
Waterhouse, too, had problems starting but became one of the great contributors to the turf. Now she is in partnership with Adrian Bott. Of course, I find it difficult to write a piece without mentioning her father, a legend, Tommy Smith, whose words and advice still reverberate.
But Waterhouse overshadows him in major facets. Smith did not have the knack, or patience, for training Europeans. “Too soft,” he proclaimed because they couldn’t withstand the regime that produced bone-and-muscle.
Waterhouse and Bott triumphed in the Group one Canterbury Stakes on Saturday with Royal Patronage, a French bred, and Alalcance, from Great Britain, in the Randwick City Stakes, resuming over 2000 metres, a rarity in Smith’s era. Yes, he achieved it once with Tulloch.
However the Waterhouse distinction extends to jockeys. Smith used or burned out the best but didn’t develop them. Those that come out of Tulloch Lodge, under the Waterhouse management, are better than when they went into it. Maybe it’s the get up go out of the gates and into a position like their horses. And King, a Pom, is an example.
King came to Randwick more an office girl than a jockey. Now she is world class, confirmed in Japan. On Saturday she scored on Little Baia. Was there a Tokyo bounce to her seat late or was she adapting to the requirements of her mount? Sitting sweet is her style. Any way she looks good.
Hardly the situation for the Swans against Hawthorn before 40,000 plus at the SCG on Friday night. The Grand Final pain of last year still lingers.
“They haven’t got enough good players,” a wise guy with far more experience with the ALF pronounced. “Surely Errol Gulden (now injured) is worth two,” I countered. “Not sufficient,” he replied.
Negatives, too, came out of the Rabbits-Dolphins clash last Saturday; Jack Wrighton’s sucker play to get a week’s suspension when his strength and experience is vitally required against Saints.
Also the pack had critics.
“Wouldn’t break the line at Snape Park,” one red and green supporter grimaced regarding our front line at the venue where in 1953 for South Sydney Junior Tech under nine stone (57k), I tested the opposition defence, hardly with the grit of Jai Arrow nor the involvement of Lachlan Hubner, who is a work-horse cut in the Chic Cowie mould. With Ron Coote and Cameron Murray, Cowie was in the Rabbitoh trifecta of the best.
After last season’s debacle, South Sydney spirit gets spark back with Campbell Graham. Little Jai Gray promises to make every match a worthwhile spectacle. Hopefully Wayne Bennett is counting his gutsy runs and involvement from the rear and we get same from Lattrell Mitchell when he returns. Settle for something similar.
“Ugly” comes to mind regarding Jamie Melham on Another Wil in The All-Star Mile at Flemington on Saturday.
According the Racing Victoria stewards Another Will was “held up from the 400 metres. Near the 150 metres clipped the heels of Mr Brightside and blundered. Passing the 50 metres shifted in over the heels of Mr Brightside to obtain clear running.”
Melham showed commendable nerve to take what she described as a “neat run” late but stipes reprimanded her to “exercise care in similar circumstances”.
Another Wil was beaten under a length and a half by Tom Kitten. Some figure Another Wil would not have won with clear running. Well, the quinella that beat him Tom Kitten and the gallant Mr Brightside certainly would not have beaten Another Wil with the same interruption.
Stewards announced a later endoscopy of Another Wil disclosed “degree of internal exercise-induced pulmonary haemorrhage that may have affected the gelding’s racing performance”.
