THE BREASTPLATE ACT.

NZ Truth, Issue 405, 29 March 1913, Page 2

THE BREASTPLATE ACT.

After Bertrada had won the Sapling Stakes at Napier Park, 801 l failed to weigh m with his breastplate, a thinß that "has happened so often befora with disastrous results; that it can only bn expected from a young or inexperienced jockey. While they were arguing tho I)otnt m the stewards' room, the machine had a go /'on its own" and paid out two or three hundred pounds on Bertrada first and Soltano second before they got news of the protest, when they closed down. Then tho fun started. Several of Blrkful's (the third horse) backers had destroyed theif tickets' immediately tho machine started. to pay' out. Theresuit of, the, protest was Soltano first, Birkful second. A big crowd of Soltano's backers . had already boon* paid second money, when they found out they were entitled to three times l as much, but had "dono m" their chanco of payment through no fault of their own. There was plenty doing. Theso people had tho sympathy of tho Birkful punters who had destroyed their tickets; also the-Bortrada punters-., who.. missed getting paid. The Bertrada punters who got In early and collected first money on that horso seemed to have all the fun on their own. Taking it all round, It was a disgraceful mix-up, for which the Club alone is responslblo, and no one feels any sympathy for It. It Is very problematical if tho lobs was any way nearly as great at the finish, because all tho Soltano backers that got m at tho start were paid £1 its short and : Bertrada paid little more for first placo than Soltano eventually did. There was a matter of shillings Qnly between; what Bortrado -would hay© paid and what Soltano actually did pay. . The position Is a new ono for Trainer G. Price,- for generally' he is fqund on the box-seat m such mattors. When riding m tho old days Price had several races glvon him owing to tho Irregularities of other riders, and at the Trentham Cup meeting twelve ■' months ago Nyland got tho Flying Handicap owing to Dearest botng a couple of ounces overweight. Prlco known what it is to win a race by tho errors of others; ho now experiences the converse position.