TROTTING INQUIRY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 155, 12 April 1928, Page 2

TROTTING INQUIRY

FREE ADVICE*AT NEW BRIGHTON MATTER REFERRED TO CLUB. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The inquiry into the driving of the horse Free Advice by J. Bryoe in the Eclipse Handicap at the New Brighton trotting meeting was reviewed by the Board of the New Zealand Trotting. Association yesterday. The Judicial Committee of the < club had reversed the placings in the race and had fined Bryce £25. It was decided to refer the matter back to the club and to write to the patrol steward, Mr J. McOreanor, giving him an opportunity of denying that he was financially interested in 1 the result of the case. The New Brighton Trotting Club wrote stating that the Judicial Committee had inquired into the driving of Free Advice by J. Bryce in the Eclipse Handicap. J. MoCrean'or (patrol steward) had said that Clarke, driving Baron Bingen, and Bryce, driving Free Advice, were running abreast and Bryce, in attempting to cross Clarke, grazed Clarke's sulky wheel. Bryce made a gradual pull in and he sulkies touched, making Clarke momentarily ease his horse and get him into his stride again. Both parties were examined, and the. club decided that the interference wa wilfully committed by Bryce and that under rule 291 Baron Bingen be placed first and Free Advice second, and that Bryce be fined £25. MoKendrick Brothers, owners of Free Advice, lodged notice of appeal against the decision in view of the fact that they had not had the opportunity to be present at the inquiry. A letter" was read from Bryce stating that he had important fresh evidence and asking to be heard on the subject before the Board came to , a decision. The club had referred him to the Board when he had applied tor a re-hearing of the case. Mr Armstrong said that, on the evidence, the. affair was purely accidental. He moved: —"That the matter be re : ferred back to the club, and that the club be notified.that, as James Bryce had advised the association that he has further evidence, to tender, the club take the evidence into consideration, and that a copy of McKendrick Brothers' letter be 'sent to the club with a request that they be given the opportunity of being present:" , The motion was carried.

The rush inquiries held between races were not satisfactory, because most of the club officials had duties to perform, said Mr Armstrong. Practically everybody connected with the club had other duties which needed attention. Although he did mot desire to hold up the Wellington Club i- as a paragon, he might say that, except in Ihe simplest cases, it' held over these inquiries until after the races. Rush sittings' rarely did justice to the people concerned, nor did they confer any benefits upon those who might be beneficiaries from such inquiries. Mr J. B. Thomson moved and Mr Hayward seconded that, while the association had no reason to believe it, Mr McOreanor be given) the opportunitv to deny that die was financially interested in the result of the case. The motion'was carried.