QUESTION OF PROCEDURE

STATEMENT BY MR, DONNELLY

(By Telegraph.) (Special to "The Evening Post.")

■ :' CHRISTCHURCH, This Day In_sportiiig circles, further discussion 'in tbe Rowley case has been aroused by the publication of-a letter from Mr A T , Til & °ne o£, %■ aPPeal i»dges 'who upheld the appeal, of the'trainer and iockey. Mr Donnelly gives his personal opinion on the question of procedure to be adopted by the Judicial Committees The letter states inter alia-—

There would be a danger, if it were competent for a Judicial Committee, to proceed in the absence of an accused person and then to say afterwards, as Mr. Gould says now, that the evidence which was so taken in the "absence of. the accused was unimportant The advantage of a Judicial Committee'approaching its cases in a logical and orderly fashion can easily be demonstrated.: Mr. Gould was chairman of the Judicial Committee of the Canterbury JoeJcey Club, which on Monday, 7th November, unanimously -onvicted the owner of J<owley of corrupt practice. Mr. Gould was chai rm a n also of the District Committee which on the following day, Bth November,.on the same evidence, unanimously acquitted the owner of Rowley of the same offence.by allowing his appeal against his conviction the day before. A member of tne District Committee %aye evidence as a witness, before the Judicial Committee °f *1 November.,, that he saw the finish ©t the race, but sttaed that lie was unable to say. that the horse was "pulled," or that 'jt was not ridden, to win. This member of the District Committee was a party to Its unanimous decision convicting the jockey, and trainer of the offences charged against-each of them. Mr. Gould, thereiore, on two consecutive days on the same evidence, was a party to two unanimous decisions, each flatly coutriidicting the other. .The "member o£ the District Committee above referred to must in that capa«tv hav<? TPierteri bis own evidence eive'n

before the Judicial Committee, and have gone further as a judge than he did as a witness. The application of simple legal principles to racing inquiries must have avoided such inconsistencies as these." After reviewing the positions of the persons charged and the steps taken by the committee in the hearing of the evidence, Mr. Donnelly concludes: —'"Racing, inquiries throughout the country have generally been conducted in the past on the broad principles which govern the proceedings in Courts of law. No departure from these principles, I hope and feel sure, will ever be sanctioned by a decision o£ the judges of the conference."

Acceptances for the Ashhurst Meeting are due to-night at 9 o'clock. Nominations for the Woodville Meeting close on Friday next at 9 p.m. The Woodville Club evidently expects bumper fields, for it announces that in the event of any races having to be divided the stakes will be increased 50 per cent, for those races. ■■ . . . •

Weights for the Auckland Cup are due on 2nd December. Amateur handicappers can amuse themselves between low and that time in framing their ideas. Now that the New Zealand Cup Meeting has been concluded a glance through the Auckland Cup entry is interesting. The placefillers in the big event at Eiccarton, Rapier, Star Stranger, and Footfall,, are all engaged, as well _as Te Monanui and Beacon Light, the winner and runner-up in the Metropolitan Handicap. Count Cavour and Te Kara are also both in, and then there are the improved Delightment and Satrap. Other solid performers are Degage, Grand Knight, Mask, . Papatu, Piuthair, and Valkon. Merry Mint, after his racing in Australia, is also a notable entry. It will thus be seen that the Auckland Club has all the necessary taleut for a great race at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. ;

Through the agency oi Kindle, Trentham stables scored another success at Riccarton on Saturday, while Wild Pigeon and Grand Knight earned minor place money. Kindle, a four-year-old filly by Lord Quex from: Head, has been in -H. B. Lorigan's charge only for about the last two months. She has made a good deal of improvement, and has raced well enough to prepare her owner-trainer for her victory., The dividend on Saturday was a remunerative one. Kindle was still a maiden performer up to Saturday last.

The Takapuna weights to-day do not reveal the presence of any outstanding performers, those engaged being in the main horses who have raced this season at the Northern Meetings. Three exceptions are True Blood, Royal Blood, and White Wings, who have recently returned from Australia. True Blood, who is an Alison Cup candidate, beat a fair field at Randwick on the third day of the big meeting- .

Before the racing at Riccarton . commenced on Saturday, Mr. R. Clothier, one of the weighing-room staff of ,the Canterbury Jockey Club, who is being transferred to Wellington, was the recipient of an attache case from his colleagues. The clerk of scales, Mr. A. H. Noall, made the presentation.

E. Reed had an unusual experience at Riccarton. He went through the four days of the fixture without one ■winning ride. Very favourable reports have been received from Australia in regard to the first appearance of the newly-appointed A.J.C. stipendiary stewards. Messrs. M'JMahon, Frazer, and Coombes*. They had their first meeting at Moorefield, and dealt with nine cases of breaches all told, norie.really serious; The "Telegraph" adds: "They (the stipendiary stewards) were commendably active,,and if they continue as they have started, racing generally will benefit considerably." Mr. H. ;,A. Knight stated at Riccarton on .Saturday that Comely was proving an admirable foster-mother to Limerick's brother, the foal whose dam, Medley, died when he was a few days old. . Luck appeared to play rather more than its usual part at Riccarton last week. On the roomy southern course, usually, horses Have" every chance, but last week 1 many horses had their chance affected adversely in running. The races appeared to be run at a. fast pace all the way, and any horse who was a victim of interference or who began slowly had to be extra good to win. Accordingly one or two of the North It-landers have only to train on to be gilt-edged propositions at some of the minor meetings soon. A .feature of the racing at the Cup Meeting was the small amount of success of Otago and Southland horses. Usually the representatives from the furthermost part of the Dominion make their presence decidedly felt at Eiccarton, but this year they, were costly. Beauty Light,' Silver Paper, and Money Peer were the successful ones, but Black Duke, Set Sail, Dismantle, and Overhaul were unpalatable losers. Comic Song did his best for his backers in both Stewards' and Members' Handicaps, but a slow get-away from the barrier prejudiced his chance in both cases. In the Members', however, he returned a useful second dividend, which made up for his earlier failure.

Two-year : old form, is the moat consistent of all. In the Welcome Stakes, Childsplay beat Silver Paper and Silver Rule. Staghunter, who did not run in the Welcome, won on the second day, all the placefillers in the classic race being absentees. Silver Paper beat Silver Rule on the third day with Childsplay, not a runner, and Silver Rule had her turn on the last day, when her conquerors were not saddled up.

High Disdain is the makings of a useful two-year-old. Probably if he could havebeen raced on-the second or third day at Riccarton he would have won on the last day, for he put up a great fight against,, the more seasoned Silver Rule. He is a big, bold customer, and racing and travelling should benefit him considerably. By the midsummer. &c should be approaching his best.

Mandane's two-year-old half-brother by Absurd, Goblin Markets is the makings of a good galloper when he settles down. He was still very green even after his third run at Eiccarton, but he showed that he possesses plenty of pace. He gave R. Reed a not-too-comfortable ride on Saturday, for he "mixed it" nearly all the way. ' In R. J. Mason's hands he will be all right by and by.

Centrepiece was-well named at Riccarton; for his centrepiece was. really aldermanic. He fined down from day to day, and has only to keep sound to go on and win. Ho is destined for the Auckland Cup Meeting, all being well, arid if he goes properly the opposite way round should take a good deal of beating in any race selected for him.

Civility looked bright enough at Riccarton, arid as usual set the standard on the track, but she just failed in her races. Her sex is against her at this time ofyear, but her failures mean a few pounds ■ off her back in the handicaps. la the late summer and early autumn, she will be heading the list again. Duke Abbey had his last race in hack company on Saturday at Riccarton. With 9.9 up he was sent back by another horse early in the proceedings. In a big field th&t was the end of him, although a good number of people had an idea he was prominent to the turn. Quantum, who also has a white face, and carries a black, green, and red racing livery, was the prominent horse, however, and not Duke Abbey, who was always toiling iv the rear. Quite a number of people who were at the New Zealand Cup Meeting are wondering what weight Count Cavour will receive in the Auckland Cup. He will be a much fitter horse on Boxing Day than he was at Riccarton, unless sonic misfortune overtakes him, and of the top-weights he is selected to make a very creditable showing.

Fields of good -proportions will be seen out at Levin on Saturday, and, moreover, the quality of the. acceptors is on the average very fair. Quite useful fields arc engaged in the two principal handicaps. • The Levin Cup is headed by the muchtravelled Royal Game, whose condition is a credit to his trainer. If Roucx has gone on the right -way since racing at Trentham probably he will be favourite. In the M'Donald Memorial Handicap, Lausanne, after his two races at Riccarton, in which he did well, the Stewards' Handicap and Avon Handicap, probably will be much in request, but it is doubtful even now if he is altogether genuine. It was thought that the hard track might be against Delightment in the Whangarei Gold Cup, but he galloped with freedom and won handsomely. All the luck of the race went his way as lie received the hast of the start and was also

suited by the way the event was run. Gala Day was not seen at his best in this race, although he finished third. After getting the worst of the Btart he pulled hard and covered a good deal of ground' until he reached the front in the fourth ' furlong.

Tea Time recorded a neat performance I? Ins tbe Kensington. Handicap at the Whangarei Meeting. . He had a fivepouad apprentice allowance and was up about fifth most of the way. He finished in good style. It was probably due to the tact that he drew fifteen at the barrier that he was not better fancied. The five-furlong hack handicap at Levm next Saturday should provide a good gamble, and post positions will be eagerly scanned. Speedy hacks and good beginners are numerous in the acceptance that ™i /f s? fe to Bay tlmt anything le^troubTe.* 116 JUmp-°Ut be in The leading owner and breeder in England when the last English mail left was T?'hT? eery.'£ y.' A dozen uorses Lord DerbyV colours have won 26 race! this season for £32,502,' and this exceeds by over £8000 the aggregate of LoTd Astor, second on the list.. Call Boy was mainly responsible for. the late Mr F Curzon's total of £17,193, the deceased being represented by three other winners -Lne ex-Australian, Stanley Wootton, is well up on the list with £11,555. Of the leading dozen owners in England, Wootton is represented by the greatest number of winners and the greatest number of races ■won. :

A racehorse named Guinea Stamp died under peculiar circumstances at Park Broom, near Carlisle, England. There are indications that the horse was tampered with maliciously, and that if these suspicions are confirmed the matter will be placed in the hands of the police. The horse, which in the spring had been the subject of litigation, had been out to grass at the farm of Mr. Patrick M'Closky, and while in a loose-box developed illness, and died in a few hours. A veterinary surgeon's post-mortem examination revealed peritonitis, and that the injury could have been done with a blunt instrument. Certain of the organs ■ were sent to the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. In England, National Hunt Club racing will now be indulged in. But already the Derby of 1928 is being discussed. Fairway is being spoken of as a Blue Riband possibility. Thus a writer in "Horse and Hound": "Seven horses have won both the Champagne Stakes and Derby, although in the case of Craganour he was disqualified at Epsom. Time will show whether: Fairway, the latest hero of the Doncaster race, can bring off tne double, and although as regards his looks the brotherto Pharos (who ran second to Papyrus m the Derby) does not greatly appeal to me, he is a colt that I have much faith in for the future, ad he finishes his race in the style of a thorough stayer, and also like a horse that loves racing, a very important and none-toewjommon quality amongst latter-day racers. Bred and owned by Lord Derby, Fairway, foaled on 14th April, 1925, is a bay colt by Phalaris out of Scapa Flow, by Chaucer from Anchora, by Love Wisely."