FRENCH RINGING-IN CASE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22422, 17 November 1934, Page 21

FRENCH RINGING-IN CASE.

French racing circles were stirred recently by a sensational “ ringing-in ” case in a trotting race. The Paris newspapers made much of it and gave it the heading, “ Mystery of Hallencourt.” A Paris correspondent of the Melbourne Circle writes:—“ Trotting in this country holds as high a place in the sporting world as it should in Australia, and big money can be won with a good horse. By the way, we have no pacers here, and all the horses are square-gaited. “At Enghien on August 16 a horse named Hallencoui't was entered in the name of Monsieur Andre Mary for the Prix de Palais-Bourbon. It had no performances, but to the amazement of the spectators it won - in an armchair,’ as the French say. “ The horse was very heavily backed, and gave the stewards such a surprise that they called for the winner, only to find that it had left the course. Then they sought Monsieur Mary, who \\ae supposed to have driven it. They discovered to their surprise that Mary was a very fair mail, whereas the actual driver had been a man of dark complexion. “ Mary broke down under crossexamination, and this was his story. He had got a license a few days before (he meeting, having bought Hallencourt, so he said, shortly before for 15,000 francs. The stewards apparently gave him the license under the impression that he was a wellknown man of the same name. Mary donned the colours and went into the box where the horse was. There he handed them over to a man named Ramella, who drove the horse in the race. After the race the horse was taken back to its box, where Ramella handed back the colours to Mary, who admitted that during the race he had kept running around tho box so as to present a breathless appearance in keeping with his notion of how a driver should look after a stirring contest. “Then the fun started. Half the police force of Paris knocked off work on the Stavisky case to find out where Hallencourt was, and what horse he really was. They soon got a tip as to where the horse could be found. Delighted at their easy success, they were somewhat amazed when they later discovered that the horse they had been put on to was_ the real Hallencourt, (and not the ring-in. Further inquiries in the South of France led to the discovery of the latter down on the Riviera. The true name of the ring-in was Ecureuil the Fifth, and it now transpires that he had done duty not only for Hallencourt but on another occasion for a horse called Hanoi. “ Five men are already in gaol, but the man behind the scenes hag not been found. The French newspapers have written the matter up with that complete disregard for. the law of libel which makes Continental papers so interesting. The photograph of the horse is published over the caption, ‘ The most famous horse in France, whose renown has eclipsed that of Epinard or Flying Fox.’ “ The attention of the _ police hag not failed to excite some satirical comment. For example, the papers point out that it has taken them considerably less time to find ■ the ring-in than to discover the murderer of Monsieur Prince, of Stavisky fame. Another journal points out that a ‘ crook ’ trotting driver is very much preferable to a ‘ crook ’ financier.” Facing in England DERBY CUP HANDICAP. (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, November 15. The Derby Cup Handicap, of 710sovs, one mile and six furlongs, resulted as follows: — BLANK, bv Foxlaw —Blanquette, 3yrs 1 JEAN’S DREAM, 4yrs 2 CELESTIAL CITY, 4yr s 3 Won by a head, five lengths between second and third. Twenty-one starters.