Boos And Cheers After Challenge Stakes

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 12

Boos And Cheers After Challenge Stakes

Booing and jeering competed with clapping and cheering during the presentation ceremony after the Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham on Saturday.

The clapping and cheering were for the winner, Hakawai, and the demonstration was in protest against Trial Offer losing all chance at the start of the race.

Trial Offer, the favourite and carrying £9169 in win-and-place and doubles investments, gave trouble before she could be brought into line. Just as the field was sent away she backed through the gates of her stall and took no part in the race.

Many of the crowd lining the birdcage fence on the main grandstand side started to demonstrate when the presentation ceremony started.

Some of these people claimed that the race would be re-run, and the demonstration developed such a volume that the Wellington club's president, Mr R. A. Whyte, could hardly be heard while he was making his speech through loud speakers. The club’s judicial committee opened an inquiry after

the race and heard evidence from L. N. McCutcheon, rider of Trial Offer, B. Mahoney, rider of Scarpa, and C. A. Bowry, rider of Wizard. Statements were made by the starter, Mr L. G. Morris, and two of his assistants.

The judicial committee found from the evidence that the back gates of the starting stalls were not properly secured when the race was begun. Reprimand The commitee reprimanded Mr Morris for not having satisfied himself that the gates were properly secured, and instructed him that in future all his assistants must stand back from the stalls so that he can see that all the gates are properly secured. Hakawai had won three races leading up to her victory on Saturday, and she may race next at the Auckland meeting at Easter. Her youthful Wanganui owner,‘ Mr C. R. Grace, paid

2300gns for her at the national sales in 1963. She is trained at Bulls by W. L. Aitken and was ridden by the Wingatui jockey, R. J. Skelton. Hopes Dashed Hopes for a South Island victory ran high when Shipmate came to the front* in the straight

He was holding a slight lead but tiring when A. J. Stokes hit him near the halffurlong.

The Riccarton two-year-old ducked in sharply and became unbalanced, and was beaten into fourth place.

Stokes said later that he was certain Shipmate would not have won in any event Fairford, the second favourite, ran Hakawai to a long neck but was safely held. He finished two and a half lengths clear of the promising Targui colt Hatari, which made a run wide out on the home turn after giving ground at the start