No Action Taken In Sheerwater Case

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31763, 21 August 1968, Page 4

No Action Taken In Sheerwater Case

Although a breach of the rules occurred, the executive of the New Zealand Trotting Conference ha* decided not to proceed with charges against the connection* of the hone, Sheerwator, because of the misinterpretation of the relevant rule by the stipendiary steward in charge at the meeting. TMs was announced yesterday in a statement by the

secretary of th* conference (Mr J. Rowley). Th* executive considered the circumstances under which the horse, Sheerwater, raced by Dr J. J. Sullivan, and Messrs W. R. Robertson and N. J. Taylor, of Auckland, wu allowed to run in races run by the Manawatu Trotting Club at its meetings on April 3, 8 and 9 last. “The executive Is satisfied that Sheerwater, under the Rule* of Trotting, should not have been permitted to start in any of these races a* it was not qualified to do so, but through a misinterpretation of the relevant rule, the stipendiary steward in charge at the meeting concerned, gave specific permission to the owners of the hors* to start.

“The executive feels that in this particular case and in the Interest of common justice, the owners should be unreservedly exonerated as they had relied on the ruling of the conference official concerned,” says the statement. “No further action will be taken, but the conference wishes to draw th* attention of alt owners, trainers and clubs to the provimon* of Rule 109 u it relate* to the qualification of horses and the fact that such rule wu amended in July, 1967.”

Ceuna Dauble.—The on-eeurae double will be run an th* Quean Mary Handicap and th* Rlllmorten Handicap at Addlqgten Raceway on Saturday, net the Addington Handicap and the Hillmorton Handicap a< published yeaterday.