THE CHINA MAIL,
SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1958.
Now I'll Tell by Rae
Johnstone
HOW THE STORY CAME TO BE WRITTEN...
UST three weeks after I had decided
Je turn up the riding game M. Pierre
Wertheimer, who first retained me to ride in France way back in '32, organised n farewell dinner.
Around me at the Pre Catelan in the Bois de Boulogne. just a few kangaroo hops from Longchamp, sat so many of those I had ridden for and against- during those 23 years.
Men and women owners for whom I had been fortunate enough to win classics here in France, in England, and Ireland.
The big names
"Old Man" Dick Carver, who trained my first Epsom Derby winner, My Love. and whose pre-Derby "Instructions" I could still recall so vividly,... Alec Head, with whom I was associated in Lavandin's fairy-tale Derby,...Sad, philosophical Russlan emigre Joseph Ginzbourg... Jockeys like Freddy Palmer, who didn't help to stop the lump which kept rising in my throat by getting up and saying things which made me wonder; what the hell'am retiring for? (as if I didn't know).... Nine times French champion Roger Poincelet...Jacko "Tarzan" Doy- nabere.
The reflections
I felt like an oarsman without a boat, a bird without wings, a jockey without a horse.
Somebody carried the silver tray, somebody else the model of a horse mude of swansdown, We left the glittering
BY
THE
chandeliers at the Pre Catelan and drove -same of us-into Paris to a "boite,"
In the dim, smoky atmosphere we falked and talked-racing, of course. And it was like so many Paris evenings except that while Alec Head, Count Roland de Chambure (on one of whose father's horses I nearly "went" at Epsom), Frank Vogel, who stood by me so faithfully in the lean years, Peter O'Sullevan, who had chronicled so many of my successes, defended the failures, talked....I suddenly realised that we were discussing horses on whom I would never ride again. It was a lonely thought,
Then somebody-I will not attach the blame-reached for the brandy bol- *tle, kaned across the table, and anld: "Rae, you should write a book, because you tell the truth,"
★ ★
AND NOW.....
BACK TO THE START AS A BOY IN AUSTRALIA ...
COMEONE once said that anyone in sport must learn how to take defeat, But it is just as hard to learn how to take vletory.' I took my defeats all right, but I couldn't hold the success. It went to my head like the whisky. I never drink.
Big-shot Johnstone. He doesn't wear
a but, they said, because they're not made big enough for him. With too much money and too much success too soon, I couldn't figure how the game had come to survive this long without me.
WAY
be
1
THE gentleman who made camel, "My rider must
himself reputation for very thirsty mm. I must say I hit collection of French water- was gind to be on dry quod colours by the best contem- al when it was all over, and porary artists, many of
whani I hope, I haven't enught a cold did not exist, reminded me of
in my hump, If the merchant see they can count me out,"
the days when Captalu Foul- caravans start this sort of non- enough was an art dealer.
Hie unloadel 091 143 5 mit-
Honaire
starting
Kome of Ute more The Three Persians
work Af Puant, Mabout. Sutaud, Flchemoy- Lecamp. ToRutule: Coquin, Betaine, Orvietas, Samul
Soltim- Robinet de Vidanges, banque. Gaston Ridleale, Janneton-hone Lombrie and of whom cxist.
Exclusive interview
INSTEAD et interviewing the
Arst man to
elde a camel under water they should have Interviewed the chindi. "It was a bit of a change after so much #legging in the dezert," said the
By Beachcomber
they wood go, auch fun, what? to, ves, air,
We will have the honner to be Ashura, Kazbulah and
Rizannighan. Twenty Years of Uproar A
A
MUSIC elle says that A singer should always keep something in reserve, lo prise the audience. What
sur-
disclosed, the betting jockey will So, intentiona having been execute a prearranged signal to
I was a grumbler, It's a funny, fraiser alates to be Insulelently thing but very few people At to be pushed out in a race, realise what that means. OK, or on one whosó energy is so hơn gambler-likes to have required to be Judiciously con- u bot on a horse or something, served for another occasion. But it isn't that way. A gambler gels hooked" as much as a dope addiet. Of course, he tells himself, he gambles to got money. But that is n half truth.
friend at the peddockside- Did you ever see a real gambler change his whip from left to who has run into moneyond right hand, put his hands bo- to do that hind his back; scratch a car, every gambler has sometime or other-load himself etc., to give the "oalce."" up with securities or gold cigar- eite cascat
Of course not. Why? Be-
cause he needs the money for gambling. It is a compul- sion-destructive az any addle
tion.
I would gamble on anything a couple of les crawling up a window
odd or even numbers on the index number of the
next car round the corner, or the notes in your pocket. And on cards.
Jockeys are not allowed to bet in Australia, any more than they are in Europe. How any one can seriously expect it to work out in practice beats me, It a jockey wants to bet-and inast people would be astonished to learn how few do-he will bel. That's for certain.
I betted
I did anyway, and did so the same way as any other jockey who cannot accept the view that bookmakers are B protected race. At the same time I had my own more than usually com- plicated varlation.
to indicate to the jockey what
Methods
According to the trainer's confidence in a "goer" I would cantar down on the stands rails to show I wanted, say, £100 on i; centre for £200, and far side for £300.
SURE,
GAMBLING
WAS
LIKE DOPE TO ME.
Tho
Roschill's
Flying
If the horse moyed to the barrier badly, in my opinion,
night Jung down
winners kept coming division of for a second to "show out" that I along. There were days when Welter Handicap en November
when 111, 1922, anyway. wanted to cancel instructions It was "loaded"; others possible. If mine wasn't to be couldn't have got into the track on ap-
Maybe, but I'm not that day I'd or without the tree pass over-exerted
gave me. I anise a system of indicating prentice licence
gathered I wasn't everybody's certainly wasn't sure enough at whom I wanted to be "on."
favourile. But I was not quite the time when riding suitably All strictly improper 'accord- 12 and if there were owners and named Gambler's Gold (by the trainers without full confidence imported aire Powhatan) a 3-1 in me... what the heli?
ins the rules of racing, I know, constituting an olence which could have abruptly endod my career. But I did not end still do not-regard it dishonest,
No chance
Sure. I
favourite, I challenged between Perfume and. Eastern Joe Just over a furlong out, then rolled a 1te towards one and back toward the other.
DRAWING
BY ROBB
a
Trimacro "was only 2-1 on the Lotalisator owing to tho Ailly's rider having Buch strong public following reported aqwspaper. Meanwhile, the stewards had called ma in for another few words about thu previous race, with the result that the same edition of the paper carried the news "the stowards were of the opinion W. Johnstono could have kept Gambler's Gold straighter and suspended him for two months."
The cheque
I hadn't been back all that' In my book the definition of a
long and by now I was nearly crooked jockey is quito simpic,
I know now that a gambler My six-year-old was tiring a 19 and the money shortage was straightforward. A jockey who hren't a chance. Equally that a little and he did the job for me, acute when the stewards made
"bent" is one who rides con- bettor, who appreciates
and just pitching enough either way their annual bank account in- trary to his instructions-Ignor- utilises
his one big advantage to unsettle the opposition. The spection to ensure that trainers ing a directive to win if he can over the bookmaker, may beat second lodged an appeal.
were looking after their appren= Licen in order to get money from a the gume. For while the book-
My youth and success had At some time or another the bookmaker for pulling one up. maker has to bet in every race, owner or trainer or both have
the punter can select his 'oppor- created for me quite a following My compulsory savings at this
Unfortunately, This was not my line-not at tunities.
very among the crowd. It could have time should have looked very few backers can exercise the been just that my mount was healthy. They amounted to pre- is required of him, Unless plans the moment anyway. have been discussed between ali
restraint to utilise their advant favourite, of course, but they cisely nothing. I hadn't forged
the timeless shouted "Good on
choques. I had #ge. Wherefore
you, Tiger the
Just truth of old-time "Aussie" book boy," when the appeal was die arranged for the bank to cash maker Jim Hackett's observa- missed. And I went out to ride them with one signature instead ilon: "The lighter you bet the in the second division of the of two the manager was a longer you'll "last,"
pal of mine. But I was banished handicap.
-forbidden to ride within 109 'miles of Sydney, "Expelled for spending his own money," ylp- ped the papers.
three well in advance, instruc- tions are imparted in the pad-
dock.
No Jockey wants to bet his "roll" on a horse whom the
CROSSWORD
Across
1. It aliould show below the
7 Bank emotals. Ve
15,43 Rustiquzzi kueps in reserve is
8. Eversono. (3)
we will perance and derect the chandeller
Oh but a dancer on a aspen, ballet,
welldin.
We three read, ho sir, that the enough to shatice the stappe in Brustles for balict hath it is a prolonged howl, so ter flure-bords what wobbel like rifying that even the musiclans orchestra bend their BCURATOR, We suggest that we In the hare ritin a bullet for our seesaw heads as though before a storm. plank, the dancer hat each end On one occasion a nippant cou and one in the middel to keep ductor held up his left arm to himaclf, and A huge the ballunce. Not bein dancers shield
trembled The an The diva. WHE once 10 be scesato can sprang much har in offered a sitting stim
I would the hair than one on a stage, Helston's town-crler. and our big wobbeling bord mite back her against the enormous hart of Porter at Dax in the Landes, recperloosheanise the
50 well known to ballet,
travellers. Ал orchestra too an go in for surprises, as in The case of ihat daring Phil- harmonie, which uced a four- on steam boller for a betting of "Silence Wraps Me Round"
Hup down, hup down once
GREAT SCOT—IT'S HAIG
(Born 1627)
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19. May describe meal,ened.
Antenas (0)
19. Girls at war, 11, 12, 13
(0)
19. Follow him in difldhood game.
(3, 0)
Down
Theatrical Iront. (5, 4)
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Dad temper, ca, d
Midacter
instance. 74
8. Wort Le v. One
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(a)
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G
SCOTUONETO AED ESTNAU
Tumigi mOCESSOR
NG
NOAA T FAMAQUSTA
The current Johnstone entour age were not unduly critical about anything
their "meal (lekel" might do oft the track,
Rides
I know now ..but I doubt whether, had I known then, it would have made any difference, Well I A gambler plays an
gold
in
the prospector in a tin mine. With
Lot of work
"Just ride her as you, And
Why "meal-ticket"? discovered, rather late gaine for the bencft of my all the advantages I could have her, son" said the trainer as 7 Kealth, that a "friend" of the wished for, 1 gambled my way
is given a leg-up on Trimacre. guy to whom I "showed our" into trouble, deeper and deeper. She was a filly who hadn't been ut for quite a while but she whether I was "off" or not,
wasn't a big one and, I figured, might not need a lot of work to get her straight.
One of the chief country stipendiary stewards wrote to the Australian Jockey Club re- commending me for a permit to return. That letter got me re instated. Back in Sydney, Iuck
and who doesn't need it?-war with me, I ellmbed up on four winnera ho first day. The run continued. It seemed too good
would proceed to a bookmaker Jack Phoenix, my "master," as soon as he learned that my made me concentrate on Ume, horse was not required and time, time, in work-outs. So import his valuable news for a that, working ол the Lar, An Ignored 15-1 chance with consideration.
einders, or grusu, I got to know the bookmakers, Trinsere hit to be true. It was. near enough to within a second the gate good and on ROHL ОБ how long my horse had taken she took up running I used to cover cach furlong.
Johnstone rides which were being given a fairly easy race- and I may say that they didn't ail lose by any means, because horses who are allowed to pro- ceed of their leisure have dis- concerting way of getting into bop gear
near the point that matters--were taking a long
walk in the market.
Reports
As all gallops were
reported In the papers according to the. clock, there were also occasiona Not only that. Apparently when one was instructed to keep when I was riding a porileularly, a little me in hand, as it were, hot favourite about whose pros and then assess the extra speed pects I had expressed some mis- available.
givings over the card table the ilght before, the "con" māŋyine
I got more and more con- regardless of the fact that I was dent. But, as a gambler will doing my best-would let it be know, the one at "roly
known that
my horse wasn't
"guing." So it I got beat con- matters just never seems to win. nectors would soon learn on the
1 Had Increased my stakes at service, that this time although buah telegraph
focs and Johnstone hod applied the
presents wero slill banked in an brakes.
Decount over which I had no authority without the signature Gambling of Jack Phoenix.
THE RAK JOHNSTONE STORY
distorts judgment and inelles a
her up & lille to slow the pace. down. Approaching the line for home I was still being ignored out front. I elicked her on suddenly, poached analher quick three lengths, and still had plenty to spüre at the line.
NEXT WEEK:
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