182 RACEHORSES IN AUSTRALIA 



Mr. Town, not being present, the dead heat was run off, when Tarragon won 

 in 5 min. 58 sec. In October of 185 7, at Flemington, Higgerson rode Veno, 

 when he beat Alice Hawthorn (S. Mahon) in the great match for £2,000 

 (3 miles). The same afternoon, on Cooramin, he beat Tomboy (R. Mitchell) 

 in a match for £200 aside, IJ mile, and tw^o hours after winning the match 

 against Alice Hawthorn, Veno saddled up again and beat Van Tromp (S. 

 Mahon) over three miles. The stakes in this last contest were £700, Mr. 

 G. T. Rowe, who owned both Veno and Cooramin, laying £500 to £200. 

 Higgerson also won the match on Ben Bolt, beating Lauristina. A complete 

 history of Johnny Higgerson's career in the saddle would fill a volume. 



John Cutts was one of the best of our old-time riders. He won the 

 first two Melbourne Cups on Archer, also the first St. Leger, at Homebush, 

 in 1847; on Whalebone and the Queen's Plate at Homebush in 1851. He 

 was the mount on Lady Morgan in the Champion Race at Randwick in 1 860. 



James Ashworth, who was principally connected with the Byron Lodge 

 stables, had a remarkable riding career. Some of his notable wins were on 

 Zoe, Talleyrand, Glencoe, Goldsbrough and The Barb. During the latter 

 period of his life he acted as Clerk of the Course at Randwick. 



Contemporary with Ashworth was John DriscoU, who, in 1 85 7, won a 

 race at Parramatta on Blue Bonnett. Ten years later he won the Melbourne 

 Cup on Tim Whiffler. In after years he became landlord of the Blind 

 Beggar Hotel, at the corner of Liverpool and Oxford Streets, Sydney. 



Joseph Kean, like Ashworth, finished up his days as Clerk of the Course 

 at Randwick. He was on Javelin when that colt won the A.J.C. Derby, 

 and was the rider of Kingsborough for the late Sir Hercules Robinson when 

 he won the A.J.C. Champagne Stakes, and landed O'Mera home for O'Brien's 

 Cup at the meeting held by Tattersall's Club in 1 867. He also rode Yatten- 



don in his last two races, 



t 



In the sixties there were a number of well-known riders — "Bricky" 

 Colley, John Ramsay, P. Piggott, Donald Nicholson, Charley Stanley, Dick 

 Snell, William Yeomans, TTiomas and John Brown, Joseph Burton, Michael 

 Bi-yant, Arthur Battye, and that fine old Englishman — Sam Holmes. W. 

 Yeomans, who only died recently, amongst other events won the V.R.C. 

 Oaks three times with Formosa, Mileta and Petrea; Ascot Vale Stakes on 

 Newminster and First King, also the Australian Cup and V.R.C. St. Leger 

 on the First King, and A.J.C. Derby on Wheatear. Yeomans put up a 

 remarkable riding performance at Wagga on St. Patrick's Day, 1870, when 

 he rode the winners of six races, and was second and third in two others. 

 The programme consisted of eight events. 



Samuel Holmes was an Englishman. A most able rider. After retiring 

 from the saddle he became host of the Cottage Inn at Parramatta. Many 

 an afternoon have I put in with him chatting over old times. His most 

 memorable winning ride was on Tomboy, in a sweepstakes of 25 sovereigns, 

 with 100 sovereigns added, w.f.a. (3 miles), which took place at Flemington 

 on the third day of the Melbourne Jockey Club's Spring Meeting, 185 7, a 

 week after the great match between Veno and Alice Hawthorn. Included 

 in the field of six was the champion Veno, ridden by Higgerson. Sam Holmes, 

 on Tomboy, decided that he would make the field travel all the way. He 

 was the first to show in front, where he remained, winning easily by twenty 

 lengths from Moss Trooper, with Veno two lengths away third. The time, 

 5 min. 16 sec, tells that Veno had gone off. There was great cheering at 



