ROYAL TEA'S WEIGHT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 59, 11 March 1926, Page 8

ROYAL TEA'S WEIGHT.

CONTROVERSY IN SYDNEY.

STATEMENT BY THE OWNER. Royal Tea, a colt by Tea Tray, owned by Mr. C. Munroe Emanuel, of Auckland, was recently sent to Sydney to be trained by G. Price in Sydney, and he was awarded 7.6 in the Nursery Handicap at Rosehill on Saturday. This was run in two divisions, and he won the second division.

A cable published from Sydney states: "It is the general opinion that Royal Tea carried a stove too little. Thehandicapper's champions assert that the gelding was weighted as a horse which had not previously raced instead of as a winner of a race and a runner-up in another event in the Dominion. Support for the allegation that the horse was not correctly registered is given by the fact that the race-book did not show the initials of the country wherein he last raced, as demanded by the Australian Jockey Club rules. Some owners of other horses in the race are demanding an inquiry." The matter was submitted .to the owner this morning, and he stated that he could not conceive what hapoened in connection with the nomination of Royal Tea. At the time he was sent to G. Price, full particulars of all his performances Were also forwarded to that trainer, who knows what the Australian authorities want and would naturally fulfil those requirements. "I do not know," said Mr. Emanuel, "whether they handicap a horse at Rosehill for winning only or also for getting a place. If they, handicap on winning performances then Royal Tea only scored in one race and that was at Takapuna in the spring, in which he carried 7.7. They were not a good lot, for Spode was the only one of those that finished behind him that has since won. Tea Bell was not started in that race, but on the next day he was produced and beat Royal Tea. Royal Tea was subsequenty second in the Great Northern Foal Stakes, and finished last in the A.R.O. Royal Stakes with 7.9. On his performances, and considering the fields they get in Sydney, I do not think ho was entitled to more than the 7.6 allotted to him." Mr. Emanuel said that it was an astonishing thing if the handicapper did not know he was a Xew Zealand horse and had not looked up to see whether he had any previous performances, for he is the only Tea Tray racing in Australia. Recently two others were purchased and sent to West Australia, but they are only yearlings, and that is all the progeny of Tea Tray in the Commonwealth.