RACING IN NEW SOUTH WALES 183 



the defeat of the Sydney champion, and to commemorate the victory Holmes 

 was presented with an engraved silver watch. 



John Ramsay was an able horseman who won, among other events, 

 a Wagga Cup on Janitor, A.J.C. Champagne and St. Leger Stakes on Lecturer 

 and Moselle, respectively. He is still alive, as also is P. Piggott, who landed 

 the double for the Hon. J. White, V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup on 

 Chester in 1877. Donald Nicholson, who was killed in the Caulfield Cup 

 accident in 1885, was undoubtedly the cleverest lightweight rider ever seen 

 in Australia. Piggott, Nicholson and T. Bennett were associated with the 

 late Mr. T. Ivory. Bennett won the first Metropolitan Stakes at Randwick 

 (1866) on Bylong. He now receives a pension from the A.J.C. Dick Snell 

 was another valuable old-timer, who won the Victoria Derby on Tricolor 

 in 185 7, and the St. Leger at Homebush in 1855 and 185 7. Charles Stanley 

 did most of his riding for the late Mr. John Tait, in whose "yellow and black" 

 livery he won the Champion Race on The Barb, the Melbourne Cup with 

 Glencoe, Victoria Derby with Fireworks and Florence, who also won the Oaks, 

 and the A.J.C. Derby on The Barb, Fireworks and Florence. For years he was 

 an hotelkeeper at Campbelltow^n. George Donnelly won many good races 

 for the late Mr. de Mestre, among them the A.J.C. Champagne Stakes on 

 Chester. Perhaps his most notable ride WcLS on Dagworth in the Queen's 

 Plate (3 miles) at Randwick, when he ran a dead heat with Reprieve, and 

 beat him on the run off. 



The brothers John and Thomas Brown, of West Maitland, were able 

 horsemen. The latter did best in important events, as he won the Melbourne 

 Cup on Calamia, Victoria and A.J.C. Derbies with Loup Garou, Standish 

 Handicap Duration, and A.J.C. St. Leger on Commodore. Later on he 

 trained principally for the late Hon. William Long. His best horse was 

 the unbeaten Grand Flsmeur. Mention of Grand Flaneur reminds me of 

 his rider, Tom Hales, in his day termed the "Grand Horseman." For the 

 late Hon. J. White, Hales rode in three hundred and two races, of which 

 he w^on one hundred and thirty-seven, winning in stakes £75,944. In the 

 course of his twenty years in the saddle. Hales had one thousand six hundred 

 and forty-five mounts, winning four hundred and ninety, three hundred and 

 twenty-six seconds, and third in one hundred and ninety. Value of stakes 

 won by him was £1 66, 770. 



In later days perhaps the most distinguished of our riders were James 

 Barden, now a leading trainer at Randwick, Matt Harris, who died a few 

 years ago, and James and John Gough. T. Clayton was mostly associated 

 with Poseidon, winner of the double Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1906. 

 John Delaney and William Delaney were also much in demand. Perhaps 

 the former was the more able rider. In the lightweight division the late 

 Cecil Parker was at the top of his class. He was a pupil of a famous old 

 rider — Samuel Lovell, who was tutored in his young days by Johnny Higger- 

 son. Unfortunately Parker died at an early age, but Samuel Lovell is still 

 hale and hearty, living at Camden. 



Other prominent riders of the old school were Martin Gallagher, admitted 

 to be the most skilful with the whip in the left hand that we ever had; 

 Edward M'Grade, who lost his life in the wreck of the "Ellen Nichol" ; L. 

 Kuhn, W. and E. Huxley, T. Nerricker, John Gainsforth, the Brothers John, 

 Frank and Fred Fielder, John Hincks, C. Pearson, F. M'Grath and W. Kelso. 

 Quite a number of these are now leading trainers. 



