Racing: Pioneer in the Hall of Fame

Linda Jones, who led the fight for women to become licensed jockeys in Australasia, has been inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Jones was one of five people inducted into the hall of fame last night, while five horses were also admitted.

After a tough battle, Jones and other women riders won the right to be licensed as jockeys, with the rules of racing being changed in 1978. She made an immediate impact, riding her first winner at Te Rapa in August that year and was equal second in the jockeys' premiership for the season when a race fall halted her progress.

Her biggest moment came when she rode Holy Toledo to win the Wellington Derby, becoming the first woman rider in the world to land a derby. The same year she became the first registered woman rider to win a race against male jockeys in Australia, kicking home Pay The Purple to win at Doomben.

She was made an MBE for her services to racing.

Last night's ceremony at Ellerslie racecourse was the third induction into the hall of fame which now has 37 racing personalities and horses.

The other inductees last night were:

Ray Verner - Took up training reluctantly to help his ageing father. Became a master trainer.

John Wheeler - More successful in Australia than any other New Zealand trainer of modern times.

David Peake - First appeared on winning jockeys' list 1962-63; retired 40 years later as the winner of 2085 races, the third highest total in New Zealand history.

Grenville Hughes - Other jockeys bettered his lifetime tally of 1278 wins, but none equalled his popularity with the public.

Grey Way - 164 starts, 51 wins, 27 seconds, 21 thirds, $235,020.

Defaulter - 28 starts, 22 wins, one second, one third, £11,890.

Horlicks - 40 starts, 17 wins (six at group one), 10 seconds, two thirds. $3,411,682, A$625,000.

Eulogy - Imported to New Zealand 1915, bred 13 winners of 70 races.

Bonecrusher - 44 starts, 18 wins (nine group ones, six of them in Australia), five seconds, 12 thirds; $674,225, A$1,679,495.

- NZPA