SCRATCHED IN ERROR

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 August 1933, Page 6

SCRATCHED IN ERROR

TRAINER'S COSTLY MISTAKE,

LONDON, July G. Included among the official scratchings announced by Messrs. Weatherby last Monday morning was the following:.—“Out of all engagements: Everlasting.” Behind that intimation lies a tragedy for the Earl of Rosebery, the owner of the two-year-old filly, and the trainer, Jack (writes “Hotspur” in the “Daily Telegraph.”) On reading it my first thought was that Everlasting must have died or had met with an accident that would preclude her being trained any more. I am informed, however, that on Friday last one of Lord Rosebery’s two-year-olds was under some discussion between him and his trainer, and it was decided to take it out of its engagements. Jack Jarvis accordingly filled in the communication for Messrs. Weatherby. Early the next morning he had the alarming presentiment that in error he had written the name of Everlasting as the one to be scratched!

He got into telephonic communication with Lord Rosebery and requested him to go to Messrs. Weatherby's office and asked for his (Jarvis’s) letter to be treated as cancelled. Lord Rosebery, I understand, arrived at the office in Cavendislnsquare as soon as it opened and explained the position.’ “But,” he was told, ‘‘here is the letter. It has just been opened, and that fact means that the scratching has been accepted and cannot be recalled.” In vain did Lord Rosebery point out that he was there for the purpose of rectifying something done in error before any steps could be taken.

Messrs. Weatherby would not be moved in the matter, and it is as well to point out that they were being pressed to do so by one who is an exsenior Steward of the Jockey Club. It has now been decided not to race the filly again. She will be sent to the Mentmore Stud and will enter on stud life in the early part of next year.