TROTTING ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25505, 8 April 1944, Page 6

TROTTING ASSOCIATION

A HOLMES’S APPEAL DISMISSED (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Ap], 7. At a meeting of the board of the Trotting Association held on Thursday the members considered an appeal lodged by A. Holmes against the disqualification of three months imposed on him by the Methven Trotting Club on March 25, when, as the driver of Firewater, he interfered with Desmond’s Pride in the Riverbank Handicap. It was decided that under rule 493 no appeal could lie against the decision unless the association had strong additional evidence and could then give special leave to appeal. The association considered that the necessary additional evidence had not been produced.

As the result of this decision, Holmes’s horses, Imperial Lady and Gold Bar, cannot start to-morrow at the Metropolitan meeting. The association also heard the appeal of G. Lancaster against the disqualification of his horse. Pacing Power, for first place in the Ollivler Handicap on November 13. The appeal was allowed, and Pacing Power was awarded first place. At the same time, the association expressed the strongest disapproval of the unsatisfactory evidence of Lancaster, given to the association in the proceedings before the Judicial Committee. The association agreed with the finding of the club that there was unintentional interference by Pacing Power with Shadow Maid, but that such interference could have been avoided by the exercise of prooer care by R. B. Berry, the driver of Pacing Power. Berry was fined £SO.