THE SHORT WEIGHT WHEEZE.

NZ Truth, Issue 604, 13 January 1917, Page 9

THE SHORT WEIGHT WHEEZE.

"Kani" writes: -"Heard a good argument the other day as to who it was first 'jerried' to the short weight 'graft.' Each side gave the palm to a different owner, but I'm sure it was a well-known Aucklander who formerly lived m various parts of the Dominion, including N.apier. He owned a pretty good horse which we shall call TJnrose. He got this moke into a Scurry for horses which had not won a race at the time of entry. Prior to the Scurry race Tinros© won four good handicaps, so, needless to remark, he was some favorite for the Scurry. Very few started against him,- but an ; old time Hastings trainer who is still m the land of the living was persuaded to start one of his team, which we shall call Taneur. Just before the start of the race the trainer was whispered to have ago and took the owner of Tinrose at his word (believing that the last-named would be stopped), though for the life of him he could not see how the stopping was to be done. The owner of Tinrose put a on the machine m full view of everybody and then went to the back to collect as he assured his pals the race was all over. Away they (the field) went and at the end of a furlong Tinrose and Taneur were out by themselves. Tinrose won easily and< the dividend was announced as £1 4s. As the crowd was waiting for the pay out time word went round that all was not as it should be and then came the news that the favorite could not draw the weight. An inquiry was held and the owner pro- s duced his ten tickets, and later on the missing weight was found near the stall and the old wheeze tTOtted out that the trainer had overlooked it. Everything passed off quietly and Tancur's backers received £9 lsl A week later the correspondents of a certain weekly paper from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin wrote to their paper reporting a big commission for Taneur and stating tiow lucky was the owner, as had Tinrose not been disqualified the people behind Taneur would have lost their money . The Irony of the whole thing was that the Taneur party had nothing or next to nothing on the horse, so you, can guess Who did. Later on .-the same "graft" was tried again and this time the Hon. J. D. Ormonde horse was made 'the victim while Tinrose was runner-up and got the stake. People talked a bit when the same rider, was short weight on each occasion. The self same rider, like a lot more, got his money too easily and it went the same way. He died "stone broke," but the other man is still alive and going strong m Auck- t land.