RACING INCIDENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25964, 3 October 1945, Page 3

RACING INCIDENTS

Sir, —I would like to comment on two recent meetings. At Geraldine, Piccolo wins easily by two lengths, but is put back second, and the jockey is suspended for two months. As there is an appeal in this case I say nothing more. The Otago Hunt Club's meeting provided a good day’s racing, until the Jumpers’ Flat. A good horse in his day, now 10 years old, wins the race easily by three or four lengths. He is carrying two stone more than the horse that got second—(l think the nearest he has ever been to a win). The stewards see nothing wrong. The numbers go up, the dividends go up. everything seems all right. Then the owner of the second horse goes up. He protests. The committee in this case takes a month of Sundays to think it over. These gentlemen have the jockey on the mat. They can get nothing against him. In fact, the writer thinks that this is the first time this particular jockey has been asked a question. The committee takes a long while to think the whole matter over. The jockey, as he should be, is cleared. Now let the committee let the public know what happened during all this long consideration. The owner of the second horse was the only one to see anything wrong. A furlong from home the old horse could have beat him on three legs. It ends up this way. A stake is only a stake for a little while. But a sportsman is a sportsman for all time. I hope there is an appeal. The writer is not interested financially as he backed an also ran.—l am etc., Sport of Kings. [Our sporting writer states that the rider of Boloyna admitted that his mount interfered with Forage in the Jumpers' Flat Handicap.—Ed. 0.D.T.l