Hunting Park's Owner Comments On Disqualification

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22917, 8 April 1949, Page 3 (Supplement)

Hunting Park's Owner Comments On Disqualification

(P.A.) PALMERSTON N„ April 7. Reference to his disqualification was made today by the owner-trainer of Hunting Park, E. G. Meynell, who said that Hunting Park won a race at Tauranga in 1946. The race was advertised as being worth £l5O. It was divided, and the stake increased to £2OO, with a sweepstage of £2 each. The division brought the winning amount in each division down to £7o—yet the owners still paid the full acceptance as for £l5O. The sweepstake for each division amounted to £2S, so that the total for the winner went up to £96.

“The rules of racing state that winning moneys are moneys given by the club, but a sweepstake,” contended Mr. Meynell, "is not money given by a ciub but through a club. On that assumption Hunting Park was below the hack limit.” In estimating Iris horse’s winnings he took it for granted that the £2 which he put into the sweepstake with the other owners allowed him to make his winnings £2B, and thus he considers Hunting Park still eligible tor hack races. The horse was nominated lor the Rangitikei meeting and duly raced there in a hack event, nothing being done to prevent him from starting.

Mr. Meynell said he presumed the matter only came up for discussion when a report appeared in a newspaper stating that Hunting Park had won 10/1 over the hack limit.

E. G. Meynell. owner of Hunting Park, which contested the Flock House Hack Handicap at the Rangitikei meeting in February, was disqualified for one month from April 6 by the judicial committee of the Rangitikei Racing Club for wrongfully entering tire horse in a hack race when it was not eligible.