SIDELIGHTS ON PONY RACING

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 776, 28 March 1910, Page 7

SIDELIGHTS ON PONY RACING

•:. .-.There was>n-,interestirig .finaleto :the .' bonyyraces at Miraina'r, on .Saturday. , tthe..attendance-of 'the. public: at: the :\xture was not by anymeans'large, and the' racing ..was .-.-notv,very interesting, ;but, with tbe.exceptioh-of. ; a mildly hos- ; :tile demonstration- after the start of, one: race,, the: meeting .progressed, smoothly. Enoughiruntil,itho -.concluding event,. Wbich-.was;attractively named the Royal . Handicap.-Five, ponies: went to thepost to. contest .this •event,...or at any rate to ■ run-in it.',: St. -Flora was soon.made favourite, and 'tho bookmakers \ were V evidently not receiving much, in the way of. which 'werei.'ih consequence,. quoted at long odds.: ; The' favourite, did--not get anything, the worst. of the,, start, and she couple 'of*lengths break on. the-field. .Coming-up'the straight . she tired' perceptibly,-: but.y as "■ some . of, the:, other tired correspondingly; (one pf them broke "down); backers .'• were given no cause' for anxiety,, and the favourite,-passed the. post:about half' :the'good.::: A couple of'defeated '.'ponies, were,'•' however,, palpable■ ' 'non-triers,'..but.'the order was given to pay,; 1 out,:- and was duly: complied '..with:. , Meantime.an'ihterestihg Jittle_scene was being; :enac^.' .'Asl.the,:ponies -.pulled. "tip',; this'clerk' of .the. course ywas seen to approach "one: of the: jockeys,: and was 'evidentlyremonstrating with-'.him." Then' '• as:the'j6ckey-cairie-into':the birdcage he ': was met by: the trainer, of one 'of-the other ■ ponies < engaged in ■ the race,: and ;'• accused of 'jostling'-this particular pony; 'The .jockey was plainly. becoming ner-vous,'-but a couple of policemen' stood. by; to prevent, the argument from. de- : ' vekoping,' and the'managing steward escorted the-jockey:.into -one of the club; .-rooms.-. 'The-clerk of-the course: now .came forward: and'volunteered evidence of"jostling;" but as his testimony was 'being, made r'athertoo public, it caused :• a" reprimand from on© of the officials., Thereupon the clerk'of : the course dra> '-.statically announced that he was--done, -■with-the club; and -would hand in his: ■' ired coat and blackcap.;-As he handed ■: -overthe robes of. office, the display provoked a handclap: from half a,dozen • : individuals j' and .an -outburst of: laugh- •',. ter from the,rest—-for the clerk' of the :'course had ridden from home in his red ; coat and was now dressed in a ; white : waistcoat and riding breeches. Finally an .'overcoat was procured for: him;- and police-protection was extended to the .jockey,-who-had been assailed, and the -'• incident ended.. ,-'..'-J ■-/..-'■-.■