DRASTIC PENALTIES

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1932, Page 4

DRASTIC PENALTIES

OUTCOME OF DARGAVILLE RACE PRESIDENT’S HANDICAP RUNNING. SIX PERSONS DISQUALIFIED. PERIODS UP TO THREE YEARS. HORSE ALSO BAXXED. (Special to “X T orthern*Advocate.") AUCKLAND, This Day. The judicial committee of the Dargaville Racing Club met in Auckland to further investigate the running of the President’s Handicap on the second day of their meeting, December 3 last. There were present: The president, Air R. W. Cuthbert, chairman, W. B. AEorris, J. S. Ale Carrol!, A. C. Bali, C. S. Rush, and the secretary, Air J. P. Stnnaway. Others present were Air R. G. Hosking, deputy stipendiary steward, and Air E. Cullen, racecourse inspector. All the persons against whom charges were laid were also in attendance.

The upshot of the deliberations was that six persons and one horse were disqualified for varying periods, the terms being as follows: The horse Bronze Tray.—Three

years. E. A. Powell, of Dargaville, owner of Bronze Tray.—Three years. •C. E. Powell, of Whangarei, brother of E. A. Poivell. —Three years. Hector Gray, of Takanini, trainer • —Three years. A. G. Murray, jockey. —Two years. E. E. A. Horne, jockey. —One year. L. Clifford, apprentice jockey, one year. The ground for the disqualifications was that the persons named were guilty of a. corrupt and fraudulent prac tice by conspiring to assist Tetrarch ate to win the President.’s Handicap. Curious Contest. The race resulted: —Alloy (0. MeInally) 1, Tctrarchate (H. Gilmer) 2, Hannibal (E. Horne) 3. The other starters vrere Bronze Tray (Murray) and Thespis (Clifford). The race w r as one of the most curious seen for a. long time, and the only excitement in the contest was when Alloy ran past the odds-on favourite, Tctrarchate, in the straight and beat liim by half a length. Hannibal was a length aw r ay third, with Thespis and Bronze Tray following. The value of the form in the race may be gauged from the fact that nine furlongs took 2.14-5, whereas Lady Vane won a mile race later in the day in 1.411-u. Prompt Investigation.

Immediately after the race the act-ing-stipendiary steward, Mr E. G. Hosking, instituted an inquiry, but after hearing the jockeys it was adjourned and completed in the evening, when the following resolution was passed: —“That this committee is of the opinion that the running of the horses Bronze Tray and Thespis in the President’s Handicap was unsatisfactory and that R. A. Powell, owner of Bronze Tray, committed an error of judgment in allowing the horse to start when he,knew' before the race that the horse was not in a fit state to run and do justice to himeslf, or give the public a fair run for their money; the committee is also of opinion on the evi-, dence adduced that the boy Clifford (rider of Thespis) is not fit to ride in a race and that the Auckland District Committee be asked to review his license under the Rules of Racing.’’

At a special meeting of the Auckland District Committee the report of the Dargaville Committee was considered and it was referred back for further investigation, and it was suggested that the final meeting of the Dargaville Committee should be held in Aitckland. The committee therefore met in Auckland. Evidence and Finding. Mr Cullen presented to the commit tee yesterday evidence which he had collected. Many witnesses wore heard, including Mr Emanuel, owner of Tctrarchate, E. Hall, trainer of Hannibal, O. W. Mclnally, rider of Alloy, H. Gilmer, rider of Tetrarchate, and E. Manson, F. T. Bentley and J. F. Fergus, jockeys. The text of the finding was as follows: —“That in view of the further evidence received, that E. A. Powell, owner, and the horse Bronze Tray, C. E.;Powcll and H. Gray were disciualified for a period of three years, A. G. Murray, jo.ckey, for a period of two years, E. E. A. Horne, jockey, and L. Clifford, apprentice jockey, for a period of one year, as from December

3, 1032, for committing a breach of Eule. 295 (1) in that they were guilty of a corrupt and fraudulent practice within the meaning of the Eule 351 (1) (n) of the Eules of Eacing, by conspiring to assist the horse Tetrarchate to win the President's Handicap. What The Rules Say. Eule 205 (1) states: “Every horse which runs in a race shall be run on its’merits, and every rider shall ride his horse out to the end of the race if he has any reasonable chance of running first, second, third or fourth and shall in no case trust to the chance of a protest or objection." . Eule 351 (1) (n) states “Every person commits a corrupt practice within the meaning of these rules who in New Zealand or in any other country, is guilty of any corrupt or fraudulent practice on the turf or in connection with the totalisator."

Bronze Tray is a six-year-old gelding by Tea Tray from Florent. He won tlic? Avondale Cnp on October 15 and the Dargaville Cnp on December 1, and was an acceptor for the Auckland Cup to be run at Ellerslie on. Boxing Day.

H. Gray, formerly leading jockey in New Zealand, started as a trainer at Takanini this season and at Te Awamutu last Saturday he led in three winners, On Top, Weatherwise and Thespis. A. G. Murray and R. Horne are lightweight jockeys. Horne won. the Auckland Cup on Motere in 1930 and was to have ridden Bronze Tray in this year’s race. L.. Clifford is apprenticed to H. Gray. The mare Gay Idea, an acceptor for the Auckland Cup, will now be unable to start, for she is owned by Mrs M. W. Powell, wife of C. E. Powell. Under Rule 116, any horse owned by, or by the wife of, a person undergoing a period of disqualification, is inelig’ible to be entered for or to start in any race. . >. ’.

The time limit for lodging an appeal to the District Committee is 14 days.,;.