SPORTING.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 28 April 1914, Page 8

SPORTING.

"THE ROVER" CASE

BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION

WELLINGTON, April 27. Following is the JNew Zealand Racing Conference's judgment in "The Rover™ case.

%"ln the matter of the appeal by the Wanganui Jockey Club against the decision of the Wanganui District Committee, that the said club be instructed to pay the stakes in the Westmere Hurdle Kace, run on February 26th, 1914, to W. G. Trask, nominator of "The Rover," after the expiration of the time limited for an appeal to be lodged with die New Zealand Racing Conference.

Judgment:—"We are of opii.ion that at the time of the disqualification of A. M. Wright on August 17th, 1912, he was the owner of 'The Rover' within the definition of 'owner' in the rules; we think that during the continuance of such a disqualification, any horse of which he was the owner within the meaning of the definition at £he time of the offence for or in respect of which he was disqualified was committed, is not qualified to be entered for or start for any race (Rule 3, part XXXIII.) We are unable to give any more limited meaning to the word 'owner' in this rule than the meaning given to it in the definition clause. It was contended that the Wanganui Jockey Club was not entitled to bring this appeal, but we are of opinion that this objection must be overruled We therefore affirm the decision of the Wanganui Jockey Club, and determine that the horse 'The Rover' was not qualified to- be entered for or start in the Westmere Hurdle. Race. We make- no order as to costs. — Wellington. 27th April, 1914. (Signed^ George Clifford, C. P. Skerrett, and J. G. Duncan, Judges." [The effect of the judgment is that Mr 0. Cox, owner of Timothy, who finished second, will .receive the £160 first money, and the £25 attached to second goes to Mr J. R. L. Stanford, owwr of Bercola, who occupied third berth.]