HE WAS OUT; BUT HE'S IN AGAIN NOW

NZ Truth, Issue 1145, 10 November 1927, Page 11

HE WAS OUT; BUT HE'S IN AGAIN NOW

Trainer Bagby and Apprentice Jockey Parker Found Guilty — Owner McDonald Innocent

STIPES OVER-RULED BY DISTRICT COMMITTEE

MCDONALD and Bagby were each disqualified for two years, Avhile Parker was suspended for twelve months. • The incident was the deliberate pulling-up of Rowley when he threatened to beat Vesperus, which is also— or was also-— in the Bagby stable. Just how the kid on top came to do his head and act m the manner he did is hard to explain, but that he yanked the horse up twice right m front of the stewards' stand cannot be denied. It was so barefaced that most people— after they had recovered their breath— could do nothing but laugh. But for the people intimately associated with the horsq it was anything but a laughing matter. ■ Anyhow, the outcome was serious and, of course, it had to be appealed against. The appeal was heard ,by the Canterbury District Committee on Tuesday afternoon and after two hours' deliberation an amendment was made. Bagby's and Parker's sentences were untouched, but McDonald was let out of the affair without a stain on his character— or, m other words, the two years' sentence was lifted. The lifting of McDonald's sentence brings the case into line with the Memsahib cause celebre of last June, when Mervyn Wells was found not guilty by the district committee and the jockey, Reid, left to carry the baby. Once again a district committee has seen fit to amend the decision of a body of stewards, who happen to know their business. Helping the stewards m that business were two paid stipendiaries.

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Immediately the incident happened if was recognized on all sides that only a miracle would get the party out of it and when— on Monday — the sentences were announced, there was not a great deal of surprise expressed. Yet the verdict was just over twentyfour hours' old when it was partially thrown out. "* Bagby and the unknown Parker are branded, but McDonald has got out. of it free. When the Memsahib case ended, as it did, there was a, lot of dissatisfaction expi-cssed and that it ultimately had a little to do with the resignation

of Chief Stipe McMahon was well known. After admitting that he was responsible for the whole thing, Wells was allowed to. escape and the rider was kept on the books. Apparently the same thing is going to happen to Bagby and Parker — that is, unless their appeal to the Conference judges is successful and that appears very remote. In getting out of a nasty situation McDonald is to be congratulated, but the congratulations would be heartier had the trainer and jockey also escaped.

It is hard to imagine that the horse was , puiied up for some ulterior motive; it was too crudely done for that.. But the boy's lack of experience may explain a lot. He has done little race riding and he must have become terribly excited when he found he had i ranged alongside Vesperus and was going away to beat that horse. Perhaps he wanted to see Yea« perus win arid acting on the spur of the moment made a slip which brought about all the trouble. Inquiries are not open to the Press and little escapes from ,the room, so it must be taken for granted that the evidence brought before the district committee revealed that McDonald had nothing to do with the affair. Otherwise, he would not have got off. That is. very obvious, but m keeping Bagby- and Parker on the mat it must have been established that there was collusion somewhere. Of this the owner could not have known — hence the lifting of his two years. . From every way- the case is iooked at, it is unsatisfactory and there must be only one- satisfied person m Christchurch. . ' Just whether anything further will be done by the prosecuting side remains to be seen, but seeing that they did not get the support/expected after the Memsahib case it is quite on the cards they may not do anything, this time. Anyhow, a lot of people m Christchurch — and a lot outside— hold very strong views on such subjects, but it is rather unfortunate that such views cannot be discussed m type.