The Alleged Jockey's Ring.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8154, 2 April 1906, Page 3

The Alleged Jockey's Ring.

"Petronel," in tho Weekly Press, says Jockeys in New Zealand are supposed to bet only on the*horses they ride, and then only with the permission of the respective owners. But if all ace hears is only partly true, this salutary provision is more honoured in this breach than the observance. The alleged members of the jockey's ring are alleged to have punters here and punters there and punter* everywhere, and when one of the "ml hot" North Island certainties gets home, the eruption among the starting price merchants is far more terrible than the recent outbreak of Mount Ruapehu. If we could have a Itoyal Commission on North Island racing, with power to call for persons and papers, what a book of revelations the report would make ; and what a hot cha-pter the evidence of tho bookmakers would be! But alas! we cannot whistle the wind, so we must wait for the North Island Horse-owners' Association, which intends " to put down the jockeys' ring, if it exists." Some people say that this heavy betting on the part of certain jockeys is caused by under-payment. This, of course, is sheer nonsense. The well-known, jockeys create a keen demand for their services, and, ic is said, make their terms and get them accepted, before they take a mount outside certain stables. And while there is all this talk I about the heavy toll taken by jockeys, wo never bear anything of the exorbitant ; trainer. The trainer gets his 50s per horse per week, if fortunate in his patrons, but we never hear of a man who is raised to. JSIO per week per horse because he turns out winners frequently, or has the luck to saddle up a Derby winner. All round the story is that certain jockeys get the cream, while the trainers and the rank and file of the professional riders get the skim milk. Certainly tho Horse-owners' Association can find plenty of work to dp here, and if it can cjear the air of rumours in which certain jockeys and certain owners aro tied together like the Siamese twins, it will justify its existence. As one outcome of all the gosßip there has been about jockeys thisseason, I shall hope for the licensing being placed in the hands of the Racing Conference. Committees of metropolitan clubs aro no doubt actuated by the best motives in the world, but I think if the granting of licenses wero left to the Conference we should have a more slender list of licensed riders. Zealand licences more riders than any other country under tho English flag, and far more than there is legitimate occupation for. The list wants curtailing, and it also wants cleansing. There are certain riders to whom standing down for a season might be a valuable lesson, and there are others to whom a license should never be granted iijgain. Strong remedies are required now and then, and when there is need of them they should be used. If the jockey is too powerful on the turf, it is time to take the whip out of hishand, and toll him to Bit down.