DEMONSTRATION ON RACECOURSE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 19, 6 January 1930, Page 4

DEMONSTRATION ON RACECOURSE

INVERCARGILL INCIDENT. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE'S FINDING. Regarding the demonstration on the Invercargill rececourse on Friday, to which brief reference was mad. in the ‘‘Tribune” on Saturday, the Invercargill correspondent of tho Christchurch “Star” states that after Lucky Light passed the winning post in the Final Handicap tho crowd, both in tho paddock and outside enclosures, commenced a hostile Urtuonstration against the owner, Mr W. T. Hazlett, president of tne club, and the rider-trainer, F. J. McKay, that grew in intensity lor several minutes. The members of the Judicial Committee then ordered that the inquiiy flag should be hoisted. Mr Hazlett himself is chairman of that committee, and in this instance only the other members, Messrs W. Grieve (acting-chairman), J. B. Thomson, Eric M. Russell and Dr. Garfield Crawford heard the case. In the Waihopai Handicap on the previous day Lucky Light, Bst 31b, who was favourite, was right up with the leaders for five furlongs, then dropped back, and at the finish only had Gold Tinge behind her. In yesterday’s race Lucky Light hud 7st 131 b, and until the final adjustment on the totalisator was showing a price nearer double figures than even money, but when the final figures were rung up they showed her to be second favourite. At the barrier, where her rider drew the rails, she was very fractious. Less than half a mile had been covered when she was running at the tail of her field, but once round the far turn she put in a wonderful run, which landed her first into the straight. Instead of running out from the rails as she did at the finish of the Spring I’late at Riccarton in November, she finished as straight as an arrow, and won easily by a length from Red Be. It was then the demonstration commenced, and it was continued for an hour and twenty minutes, when it was announced “That in view of the evidence submitted it was unanimously resolved that the explanations of the owner and rider be accepted. The evidence disclosed that the horse was substantially backed by both owner and trainer on both days.” Even then (6.55 p.m.) the crowd hung about the birdcage, but in the meantime the police had been reinforced, and were well distributed.