INQUIRIES UNTO RUNNING Apprentice Suspended For Three Weeks By Judicial Committee

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30405, 2 April 1964, Page 4

INQUIRIES UNTO RUNNING Apprentice Suspended For Three Weeks By Judicial Committee

The Riccarton apprentice, J. Messent, was suspended from race riding until 5 pan. on April 22 after an inquiry into the running of the Templeton Handicap at Riccarton yesterday.

Messent, who rode Legal Game, was charged with causing interference to Careen (B. Patching), which in turn interfered with Champ (A. J. Stokes) and Picca Leigh (W. D. Skelton). After hearing the evidence of the stipendiary steward, the assistant stipendiary steward, Stokes, Patching, and Skelton, the committee found that Messent bad caused the interference by crossing over without being the required distance in front of the horses behind him. On that charge he was suspended until April 15, and subsequently Messent was suspended for a further week on a charge of misconducting himself before the judicial committee.

After the running of the Kildare Hurdles, G. T. Dobbs, the rider of Bador, which fin- *

ished second, lodged a protest against the first placing being awarded to John o’ Groats, ridden by W. J. Hillis.

After hearing evidence from the stipendiary steward, the assistant stipendiary steward, Dobbs and Hillis, the committee found that John o’ Groats had caused some interference to Bador and The Frenchman at the last flight, but in its opinion this did not affect the result of the race. No blame was attributable to Hillis. Dobbs’s appeal deposit was refunded. An inquiry was held into the fall of Takatua in the Tasman Handicap. After hearing evidence from the stipendiary steward, Takatua’s rider, B. A. Campbell, R. J. Skelton (Eversley), and N. Eastwood (Bona Fide), the committee found that Takatua had clipped the heels of Eversley and fell when Skelton's mount had dived out quickly in front of him. No blame was attributable to Skelton. In the same race F. H. Skel-

ton, the rider, of Nippa Leigh, had difficulty in keeping his mount straight during the running. About half a mile from home Nippa Leigh’s head went in the air for no apparent reason and caught Skelton on the temple. In the straight Nippa Leigh attempted to bang in, and Skelton was only able to hit him on the shoulder with the whip. Knight of York was very slow to leave the stalls in the Wigram Handicap. When questioned, bis rider, B. A. Campbell, stated that when the rest of the field jumped away his mount refused to do so, and it was some moments before he could get the horse away. His explanation was accepted.