Start of meeting delayed 2½ hours

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33694, 18 November 1974, Page 8

Start of meeting delayed 2½ hours

The programme on the final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s New Zealand Cup meeting at Riccarton on Saturday was put back two hours and a quarter becaus.- at 11.15 a.m., the advised starting time, the track was considered unsafe for racing. An inspection of the track’s surface was made by members of the club’s committee, the stipendiary stewards and a deputation of jockeys about 10.50 a.m., after heavy showers during the night and morning on the firm surface had made the turns into and out of the straight greasy. After hearing submissions from the jockeys’ deputation and the stipendiary stewards the committee agreed to delay the start of the programme until 1.30 p.m. The track was again inspected at 12.30 p.m. and this inspection revealed that conditions had improved rapidly. It was decided to alter the sequence of races, the divided Strowan Handicap to be made the ninth!

(event, and the programme (would open with the Middleton High-weight, originally (the second race on the card. As totalisator investments lon the Strowan Handicap had (been made before the deIcision to alter the timetable. ! betting on that event closed at 1 p.m. The totalisator regulations permit the totalizator to be opened only once lon any particular race. Authority for the alteration to the programme was received from the Canterbury District Committee. Fernvale was relegated from third to fourth after the Pioneer Handicap. Payment of the third dividend was withheld while an inquiry into an incident about 100 m from the winning post was held. At that point Ferndale (D. G. Holden) shifted ground inwards sharply and forced L. J. Molloy, the rider of Sharon J;.ne. which finished fourth, to check his mount and take a fresh line of running. After hearing evidence and viewing a film of the incident the judicial committee found the Interference sufficient to reverse the judge’s placings.

The charge of careless rldlne against Holden was dismissed as tlie committee was of the opinion that he made every effort to keep his mount under control