AVONDALE CLUB'S STARTER.

NZ Truth, Issue 68, 6 October 1906, Page 5

AVONDALE CLUB'S STARTER.

Sporting folk attending the recent Avondale: meeting could- not. but be struck with the miserable meandering of E. H. Hanken, who holds the important .post of starter tb the Club. Where, the Club dug this cove up "Truth" doesn !t know and cares less, neither does it know what pretentions, Hanken possesses to be a. starter of race horses at all ; but what it does know is -that he haSn't got tlie; hang of. his business. In fact, judging by his magnificent muddling right through "the' meeting it would be safe tb hazard the prophesy that if Hanken doesn't want to be violently handled by an infuriated racing crowd, one of these fine days, he had better" give "- 'the gande best right away. No doubt starter Hanken is right enough and a jolly old sort m his place, but his place isn't on a racecourse trying to get a crowd of prads into line. Probably the raoe for the Ayondale Guineas, on the second day, was the most glaring instance of this person's utter incompetence. There were six start-r ers— not a. great field for an experienced official to handle— but the way Hanken fooled the business got on people's nerves, especially those who backed .Cambrian, a red hot fawrite. When the horses came to the starting post Hanken potterjkt about and time after time wasted a good opportunity of getting them away. with the natural result that the horses pot nervous and out of hand. When they did get satisfactorily placed Hanken was still on the turf, instead of being ready to manipulate the starting lever and by the time he climbed, iup .to set them going the gees were all over the shop again and facing all. ways but the right way. Then, through his blundering they made a false start and broke the tapes. This made matters wbrse and no wonder Pylades was lashing out furiously. The crowd would have liked to have done ditto. Conductor was kicked badly, whilst Cambrain, with all the money on him, was 'ip imminent danger until Ryan, his jockey, pulied him onto the outside. Even after this, halting. Hanken pottered some more and missed two or three, good chances of getting the held away oh level terms ; and after all they got off m scratchy style. This Guineas' experience is ionly one instance o[ Hanken's hanky-panky. Last Saturday his part of the performance was so badly performed that, the crowd hissed him and hoot- i id m a .style that unmistaJfeaiblv ex- J pressed their idea of'h-i.s competency. Wiih all due respect to. Mr Hanken, i;, would be advisable for the Avondp ie people to avoid trouble m fun ••■? and to this end they had better irolce a . change m this department of officialdom.,-.; If Hanken : fancies himy.rlt as a , starter, Paul Hansen might give -him a job at the tram terminus which would be more m his line. Highly bred racehorses don't come under thc heading qf machinery, as he seems to think.