Driver alleges whip-slashing

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32531, 15 February 1971, Page 1

Driver alleges whip-slashing

(By G. K. YULE, trotting editor of "The Press")

Allegations of whip-slashing and counter allegations of holding on tothe shaft of a sulky will be sorted out by the stewards at an inquiry to be held at Addington Raceway on Wednesday.

The allegations concern an incident at the straight entrance in the third pacing heat at the Inter-Dominion championships involving the Western Australian four-year-old, Mount Eden, and Somerset Gold.

E. J. Miles, the part-owner and trainer-driver of Mount Eden, was yesterday morning nursing a swollen index finger on his left hand. He claimed he had been hit by the whip of another driver whom he declined to name. D. D. Nyhan, the trainer-

driver of Somerset Gold, claimed that Miles held on to a shaft of his sulky on the home turn. An inquiry was opened into the incident on Saturday night and it will continue on Wednesday. Mount Eden will start in the first race and it is expected that the hearing will be held after that. The picture shows Mount Eden on rhe outside of Somerset Gold (second from left) just a few strides before the incident occurred. Reporters watched a rerun of the telecast of Mount Eden’s race and it was obvious Nyhan was using the whip at the straight entrance, but it was not possible to tell that he was doing anything but using it legitimately. Mount Eden was again in the news later in the night when his connections applied to have him start on the outside of the front line, in the position allocated

to horses classed as "unruly” in New Zealand. “We can’t declare him unruly on one run,” said the chief stipendiary stewart (Mr L. A Butterfield) yesterday.

“He will start from No. 6, the , position he drew when the i barrier draw was made, in i his heat on Wednesday.” Mount Eden was excluded 1 from the barrier draw in his - races in Western Australia, - which meant that he started t from the outside position, t said Miles yesterday. ' t Under the regulations govr eming championship events, conditions affecting owners, t trainers, drivers or horses in f their home states are allowed i to continue when they are ■ away from home. Apparently the fact that ■ Mount Eden is excluded from ; the barrier draw in Western • Australia was not included i on his clearance papers from , Western Australia. i This omission will be investigated by officials of the Inter-Dominion Trotting Conference In the next 48 hours and there is still a chance : that Mount Eden will be able • to start from his customary : barrier position when he : contests the first race on I Wednesday night.