WAIKATO STEEPLECHASE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 26 October 1928, Page 5

WAIKATO STEEPLECHASE

INELIGIBLE HORSES RUN'; 1 ':•,,'.", (By Telegraph—Special to "The Mall")'" AUCKLAND, 25th October; Sr A rather ■ peculiar position arose; :in- - connection with the Waikato Steejple,- : chase, run at. Te Rapa yesterday. 'The conditions state that .the 11 race . was.rfoc.i hacks and qualified hunters and those engaged were Hazelburn, Bournand Clockwork. Hazleburn had won,:. 640 sovs, Bourn 300 sovs, and Clock;;., work 300 sovs, in steeplechases; 1 Part'. X. of the Rules,of Racing, deals-with... hacks, and lays down that when ;j the. word "hack" is used in the title (which,,* includes the conditions). it shall be, deemed to indicate that it is a hack race. In Rule 2of the same part, the word "hack" applies to any hack hurdle race or steeplechase, and, defines.A-ljack , as one who has not won a race to the value of 250 sovs, or an aggregate of 500 sovs. The amounts won in steeplechases "of; hurdles races are to be computed separately, and shall not debar such horses from entry except in the special class ' of race in which he has won the amount;... Therefore the three horses having won a steeplechase of the'.valueof over .250 sovs, were clearly ineligible." The stipendiary steward, Mr A. G6r<-L> don, drew the attention of the stewards'' to this fact early in the day. The u stewards met and he pointed out that ■ if either Bourn, Hazleburn or Clockwork '?■ won, an objection would certainly' be: - lodged. - • «'«•! The stewards considered the matter,..'and decided to allow. ..the three mentioned horses to start,, despite Mfc.Gordon's contention! However, if any of them won, the stake ' was to be ,im-_, pounded for a fortnight, as laid ; down" •by the rules, pending the : 501uti0n,.,.0t.., the trouble, but the dividends involved in the event-of any one qf -the three... horses winning, .would hav& been -paid : - out. ..... , ■■■■•. . ~.

Luckily none of the three horses wa§U in the dividends,. though Clockwork fill—-', ed third place. Handy, was fourth,-and .-;» should therefore be entitled to the third---stake. ' • ..;. • ■'"■■ ■'■*•-'>*>•■■'■--■•'■'■