JOCKEY’S APPEAL DISMISSED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9613, 20 March 1917, Page 8

JOCKEY’S APPEAL DISMISSED

Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH. March 19. An appeal to the Racing Conference by the well-known rider. Hector Gray, against the decision of the Auckland Listrict Committee in refusing his application for a jockey’s license has been heard. The following is the decision of the judges in the appeal: "The first question to be decided is whether the j udges have power to entertain it. We consider that under Rule-1 of Part XXXIV. we have such power, but that its exercise since the conference rejected the proposal to transfer the licensing of jockeys from district committees to a committee of the conference is in effect limited to very exceptional circumstances which do not exist in the present case. We do not, however, wish to base our rejection of this appeal solely on the ground above-stated. It appears that the appellant was disqualified in New Zealand for pulling a horse; that he thereafter disregarded the restrictions involved by such disqualification; that stipendiary stewards recommended that he be not again licensed in Now Zealand, and that subsequently ho was again disqualified in Australia for a similar offence. The serious view which authorised licensing bodies have taken of these recorded offences is shown by the replies sent by them to the questions of the Auckland District Committee. The committee of the Taranaki district, in which the appellant had resided, declined to recommend the issue of a license. The Australian Jockey Club answered that ib would have refused, a license if Gray’s application had not been withdrawn. We feel bound to accept these facts as evidence of the gravity with which such responsible officials regarded appellant’s conduct, and wo therefore, if we held ourselves entirely free to reverse the decision of a district commit, tee, should not consider it right or advisable to do so in the case before ns.— (Signed) George Clifford, J. W. Abbott. 0. S. Watkins, judges."