"RACKETEERS"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 6

"RACKETEERS"

RACECOURSE EVIL

HJTSPOKEN REPORT

fecial. WELLINGTON, this day. "Racing racketeers" were conimned by the chief stipendiary eward, Mr. C. Gomer, in his report the New Zealand Racing Conferlce this morning.

Many clubs, he said, had made an a-nest attempt to improve the conlct and control of their meetings, at the management had not been liformly good and several vital ctors still needed special attention. Despite an attempt by many clubs j improve the control of birdcages id jockeys' rooms the control in v many cases leaves much to be ?sired, at a time when it is comon talk that two grave menaces sset racing—the illegal bookmaker id coteries of punters whose aim

to exploit racing," stated Mr. omer. "It is of the greatest importice that these enemies of the sport lould be combated' with all the lergy possible. The birdcage and ■ekeys' room are hunting grounds : these parasites and their hirelings, heir go-between makes contact with te youthful jockey and weak owner !■ trainer, and he offers inducement » his tool to win or lose, and such the size of present-day specula on that the bribe is rarely small, ven in a case where the induceient is to win it is generally made Dssible by somebody having a big jsult through illegal channels. The lect on the recipient is attended by rave results.

Every Day Happening "Instead of trainers <and jockeys •orking for horse owners they be)me dupes of racing racketeers ther on or off the course. Their applying of information, supposed > be confidential, is now an every ay happening, and if it continues ley will completely lose their perpective and imagine that such con-

uct is overlooked hy the authorities, cannot speak too strongly on this latter in view of happenings during he last year. It is a well-known.fact hat one jockey was offered £500 to irin a race during the season, a eward that was quite out of proporion to the size of the stake. Fraternising With Bookmakers "During the season some trainers hd jockeys have been seen openly raternising with notorious bookmakers. Such associations. cannot ail -to breed suspicion and bring dium upon racing. The controlling ody should again make it plain to he license-holders concerned that urther association with such people rill be drastically dealt with. Much nore stringent control of birdcages hd jockeys' rooms will at least foil ontact between jockeys and unauthorised persons on' race days. Vith the growth of speculation it iay be found necessary in future Derestrict all jockeys to the confines i their room until they have competed their day's work," he added.