Support continues for Simone Montgomerie

Wednesday 7 August 2013, 5:17pm

The Australian racing industry is continuing to rally around the family of jockey Simone Montgomerie, killed in a race fall at Darwin on Monday.

Three-time Melbourne Cup winning rider Glen Boss has pledged the prize money he earns this week to the Montgomerie Fund, which was set up after the death of the popular rider at the Darwin Cup meeting.

Boss has so far ridden three winners this week and has urged all jockeys to make a contribution.

"We've got a spring ahead of us and have got an opportunity to make a lot of money in a small period of time. I think it's only the right thing to do," Boss said.

Leading Sydney jockey Tommy Berry will donate all his earnings from the Canterbury meeting on Wednesday to the Fund, including his percentage from his three winners on the program.

"Even though I didn't know her personally, we are all family in this game," Berry said.

"Today I had a good book of rides so I thought it was the perfect day to do it."

Berry also said Montgomerie's death was a reminder of the risks jockeys took each day.

"I don't think of it as us going out and risking our lives, I think of it as us going out and doing a job we love," he said.

"But what happened to Simone could happen to any of us."

Kathy O'Hara is also doing her bit to support Montgomerie's family.

She brought a pair of her jockeys' britches to Canterbury on Wednesday and organised for all the riders to sign them.

They will be framed and auctioned.

"If we all make a small effort it will make a big difference," O'Hara said.

Renowned trainer David Hayes and prominent owner Phil Sly both donated their winning prize money from Wednesday's Sandown meeting to the Montgomerie Fund.

Media personality Richard Callander also confirmed the charity he founded, 4tracks4kids, would donate one third of monies raised on the October 7 walk to the Montgomerie Fund.

It is to be the beginning of an ongoing relationship between 4tracks4kids and the National Jockeys' Trust which provides assistance to families of fallen riders.

The Darwin Turf Club has donated the $200,000 prize money from the abandoned Darwin Cup to the fund and the first races at Randwick and Flemington on Saturday have been named in honour of Montgomerie.

– AAP

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