Racing: Dunwoody picks agent

RICHARD DUNWOODY has selected a new agent to book his rides in an attempt to gnaw back the 42-winner lead established by Adrian Maguire in this year's jockeys' championship. Dunwoody's six-year association with his previous agent, Robert Kington, was terminated last month.

After sifting through numerous candidates, the champion jockey has selected Robert Parsons, a former stable- lad. Parsons, 32, has been agent to the Flat rider Richard Quinn since May, 1990, just after the Scot lost the job as Fahd Salman's retained jockey. Quinn has steadily boosted his winner tally each season since and has become one of the most confident and accomplished Flat jockeys. He rode a century of winners in a season for the first time in 1992 and reached a personal best 125 victories last year.

'I've been very impressed with Robert Parsons,' Dunwoody said. 'He has done a tremendous job for Richard Quinn over the last three years. Hopefully, it will be a long- term arrangement.

'It is going to be very difficult to catch Adrian this season but hopefully my strike- rate will improve. There are clear signs that Martin Pipe's horses are picking up. I have ridden for 35 different trainers in the last month alone, so it would prove totally impossible to exist without an agent.'

Parsons, who is based in Rugby, first worked in racing as a stable-lad for Henry Candy before becoming an agent. 'I work very closely with Richard Quinn and it is a real team effort. If Richard (Dunwoody) and I can work on the same basis I'm sure it will work equally well.

'The good outside rides are being snapped up fast, so Richard needs someone who can help him get them quickly.

'Like a good brand of food, Dunwoody is a good commodity, so he will be easy to sell.'