GIFTS FROM BACKERS ROYAL DESPATCH CASE A MARE NAMED SELASSIE ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 132, 30 November 1935, Page 22

GIFTS FROM BACKERS

ROYAL DESPATCH CASE

A MARE NAMED SELASSIE

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

JOCKEYS RUN GRAVE RISK

Through the spring meetings it was fairly obvious that it will become necessary at no far distant date to enforce two rules of racing that are now to all intents and purposes dead letters, says a Melbourne writer. Some of the things that happened seem to indicate that some jockeys and a number of men who bet on a fairly extensive scale are too closely linked

The enforcement of the rules 68b and 162 eof the Australian rules may soon become an urgent necessity. The rules read: —

68b: Every jockey or apprentice shall be fined, suspended from riding, or disqualified for any period the committee of the club may think fit if he shall accept any pecuniary or other gift, or other consideration in connection with any race in which he shall ride other than from the owner or owners of the horse he shall ride in such race, without the consent of such owner or owners. 162 c: The committee of any club or the stewards may fine, suspend, warn off or disqualify for any period they think fit, or during their pleasure, any person who may corruptly give or offer any money, share in a bet, or other benefit to any person haying official duties in relation to racing, or to any owner, nominator, trainer, jockey, or rider, or person having charge of or access to a racehorse.

1L was the enforcement of a similar rule in England that brought about the downfall of Tod Sloan. Sloan rode the French horse Codoman in the Cambridgeshire in 1900, and it was reported to the Jockey Club that Sloan had accepted the offer of a large present from Mr. F. Gardiner in the event of the horse winning the race. Mr. Gardiner said he was unaware of the existence of the rule precluding him from making a present to Sloan, and expressed regret at having transgressed it. The stewards fully accepted the explanation and fined him £25. They also similarly fined Mr. C. A. Mills, who acted as commissioner for Mr Gardiner. Sloan-was told that he need not apply in future for a licence to ride, and that was the end of Sloan's career ..as a jockey.

In a reference to the death of Mr. H. A. Knight, the Sydney "Bulletin" says that Mr. Knight's bequest to his trainer recalls one of the worst mistakes ever made by ' stipendiary stewards.

On one of his trips to Australia with Limerick, Jones took over another of Mr. Knight's* horses, the ill-destined Royal Despatch. This horse was no good, as was abundantly proved afterwards, but the stewards must have thought he was, for after he had run on a suburban course they disqualified horse, trainer, and jockey (M. McCarten). Possibly, they would have included Mr. Knight in the ban also, but fortunately he happened to be on the other side of the Tasman. The chairman of stewards at the time was Mr J. Higgins, a man of wide knowledge and strong opinions, but no more infallible than any man in any other walk of life. Even then 99 per cent, of racing men were of opinion that he and his fellow-stipendiaries had made a dreadful mistake, but the disqualification stood. It was a pity it had not been expunged from the records before Mr. Knight, a fine old sportsman, died. '

It has not taken long for the ItaloAbyssinian dispute to be reflected in the naming of horses in the Dominion A four-year-old mare by Sky Blue from the Formby mare Shana Van, despite the sex, has had the name of Selassie bestowed upon her. Menen, after the name of the Empress, would have been much more preferable.

A somewhat better naming effort for one of Sky Blue's progeny is Cosmic Ray for the three-year-old filly out of the Provocation mare Vivation. However, this name, too, might have seemed more apposite if the recipient had been a colt or gelding, as Cosmic Ray has a distinctly masculine appearance.

"Scotty "—N.P., £2 8s 6d. "R.E."—Answer is in table of today's first article.