SUCCESS A TOUGH ASK FOR MOST RIDERS

By Graham Potter | Monday, October 19, 2009

Success in the saddle has hardly been a shared experience in recent times at meetings in SE Queensland.

In the sixteen races conducted at the last two Metropolitan race-meetings six jockeys rode winners. Glen Colless 4, Larry Cassidy 3, Stathi Katsidis 3, Jason Taylor 3, Jim Byrne 2 and Kristy Banks 1.

The Colless / Cassidy shootout took place at Eagle Farm on Saturday where they all but shut out every other rider who had made the trip to the track. Kristy Banks, who continued her good form in the city, was the only exception.

Colless and Cassidy were making merry while ‘The Kat’ was away. Their great rival Stathi Kasidis was riding in Sydney on the day, but Katsidis had his turn at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday where he rode half of the eight race card. (Colless and Cassidy were not in action at Coloundra). Paul Hammersley chimed in with two winners at the meeting. Lyall Appo and Kelvin Wharton claimed one win apiece.

So in twenty-four races decided at the three meetings at Doomben (Wednesday), Eagle Farm (Saturday) and Sunshine Coast (Sunday), only nine jockeys saluted - Katsidis 7, Colless 4, Cassidy 3, Taylor 3, Byrne 2, Hammersley 2, Appo, Banks and Wharton 1 each.

Of course you have to have the right horse underneath you to achieve the right result but, nevertheless, the statistics above underline the fact that success in the saddle is a hard-earned and hard-held status. It is a really tough game and those lower down the pecking order have a daily battle on their hands just to stay in the game.

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