Appeal Today Against Otago Hunt Result

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31785, 16 September 1968, Page 4

Appeal Today Against Otago Hunt Result

Three of the five runners, including the winner and runnerup, in the Otago Hunt Club’s G. J. Barton Memorial at Wingatui on September 7 carried less than the 7.4 which has been fixed as the minimum for handicap flat races since the start of the season.

An appeal against the placings as they stand at present will be lodged today on behalf of Mrs E. P. Corboy, whose sprinter, Ronrico, finished third behind Shewetta and Donald Mac.

Shewetta was weighed at 7-4 for the race, but a 21b allowance was wrongly claimed for the apprentice, M. T. Kennedy. Donald Mac, which finished second, two lengths and a quarter behind Shewetta, was weighed at 7-8 but a 71b allowance was claimed for R. E. McAra. Ronrico was ridden at his handicap weight of 7-4 by the Washdyke apprentice, G. R. Heaton. “We were in luck,” commented Ronrico’s Washdyke

trainer, E. P. Corboy, yesterday. “Heaton could have got down to 7-2 but we decided not to go for an allowance we thought would have been quite in order because my old fellow bucks a bit. I told Heaton we would be quite happy if he rode at 7-4.” Other Starters The only other starters in the race were Western Gale, ridden by the jockey, G. W. Wright, and the fourth to finish, and Gay Coon, for which, wrongly as it turned out, a 2jlb allowance was claimed bringing his weight down to 7-1 j. First prize in the race was worth $5OO. Ronrico earned $6O in finishing third. The appeal on behalf of Mrs Corboy will be heard by the Dunedin District Committee of the New Zealand Racing Conference. Mr L. G. de la Perelle, secretary of the committee, told Mrs Corboy at the week-end

that she had a week in which to lodge the appeal. An incident on the second day of the Ashburton spring meeting on Saturday focused attention on the Otago Hunt Club’s race. The Ashburton club's John Grigg Stakes was run for the first time as a limited handicap on Saturday. The minimum for this race was 7-10 but a 71b allowance was claimed for L. J. Carston on Turf Queen. The horses had gone to the barrier before it was discovered that Turf Queen was carrying one pound less than the allowable minimum. The filly was brought back to allow Carston to weigh out correctly. Carston and his employer, the Riccarton trainer, J. L. Barr, were cautioned when it was found that they had not been familiar with the amendment made in July to the rule affecting the minimum weight for handicap flat races.