DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 1813, 20 August 1886, Page 23

DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB.

DISQUALIFICATION OF THE HORSE WAREPA AND THE OWNERS. An adjourned meeting of the stewards of the Dunedin Jockey Club was held at Philp's Hotel on Monday evening, 9fch inst., to consider the protest lodged by Mr G. Robertson against the stakes for the Hurdle Race at the July meeting being, handed over to the owner of the horse Warepa. Mr J. Hazlett presided. The SECRETAityreadcopiesoflettersforwarded by him summonsing Messrs F. G. Parkes, G. Robertson, and J. R. Mackenzie to appear at the meeting. The following letter from Mr J. R. Mackenzie was read : — Tapanui, August 4th, 1886. To the Secretary Dunedin Jockey Club. Sir,— l am in receipt of yours of August 3rd, and am quite surprised to hear that the club retuse to pay the stakes to Warepa. It is almost impossible for me to come to Dunedin, as I am pretty busy and have just been away for a week. I heard my horse spoken of as being several different horses. All I know is that the horse has never had any other name since I got him, aud has never run before, he being quite green when I got him. The horse was purchased by me at public auction as a four-year-old, but upon afterwards looking at his mouth I judged him to be five years old at the time or entry. It seems strange to me that Cotton, who rode the horse in the yards, and also Kennedy and several others recognised the horse before the race, and T. Cotton remembered quite well his jumping powers, but at the same time considering him. noc good enough for Dunedin. After the race I heard it rumoured that the horse was Harkaway ; but I can only leave it to the club whether he bears the t lightest resemblance to Harkaway, the latter being 9 or 10 years old, and my horse live years. I thins it very hard because a man keeps his horses , quiet that he should be charged with all aorta of things. Still, I will tell you all that can, hive given rise to any suspicion. My horse being a bad one in the train, and being a bit short of work, I made up my mind to Bend him overland. On my way down on Tuesday by train I met a young men whom I knew slightly and who had a horse aboard. At Dunedin he asked me to take charge of his home for a few minutes. So I took the horse out of the box and led him along ths street, where Gordon met me and took charge of the horse. I got very little information from Mr Gordon, but he led me to understand that his destination was Auckland. In conclusion, I still declare Warepa to be the horse described in my nomination, and he has never run under any other name to my knowledge. I may state for your information that 1 met Mr Gordon in Dunedin the day I left (Monday). He told me he was going to Port Chalmers next day en. route for the North, which. I have no doubt you will find to be correct on applying at the railway station. (Signed) J. R. Mackenzie. Mr G. Robertson, on being called into the room, handed the secretary the following written statement : — With regard to the protest lodged by me against the stakes being paid over to Warepa, the iollowing % are the facts, which can be proved:— On the 2nd July last a return passage to Melbourne per Tarawera was taken out in the name of P. Gordon. On the 20th of the same month P. Gordon shipped a horse in Melbourne for Dunedin per the Te Anau. The Te Anau reached the Bluff on the 26th, where the horse was landed. Next day (the 27th) the horse was put into the express train consigned to Dunedin, and duly arrived here. On the same evening the horse known as Warepa was taken to Scott's stables. Mr Mackenzie and Mr Parkes both publicly stated that the horse Warepa came by the South express train that night. Mr Mackenzie came by that train, but he had no horse. Neither was there any horse on that date nor for some time previous by train from the south, except the horse irom the Bluff and the trotting horse Tommy from Milton. On July 2 Mr F. G. Parkes was seen on board the Tarawera at Port Chalmers. On being asked where he was going, he taid "to the Blufi"; but he did not land at the Bluff, and went on to Melbourne. On July 27 a horse was consigned south to Dunedin by P. Gordon, ana those who are acquainted with Mr Parkes' writing state that the signature of "P. Gordon is in his 'hand. Mr Parkes' full name is, I believe, Frank Gordon Parkes. Mr Parkes was absent from Dunedin from the 2nd July to the 27th July. He stated that he had been in the North Island and returned by the northern express on the 27th July. I believe that Mr F. G. Parkes and Mr P. Gordon are one and the same person ;^ tbat the horse known as Warepa was brought from Melbourne ; and that he was known there as Mr W. Little's b g Problem, syrs, by Bonny Carlisle. To prove this would require some little time to communicate with Melbourne.— l am, &c, GEOKGi! Robertson. Mr Robertson handed in the Australasian of the 24th July to show that a horse named Problem had run at the Grand National meeting on July 17 and won the Selling Hurdle Race, and that after the race he was sold for £165 to Mr P. F. Gordon. He also handed in another Melbourne paper to show that the horse Problem which ran in the Selling Hurdle Race at Melbourne was entered for races elsewhere in Victoria. He said he wanted to • communicate with Melbourne in order to prove that this horse Problem started in Victoria for this one race there and no other. A discussion ensued as to whether there would have been time for this horse to have ben nominated in the name of Warepa for the Hurdle Race of the Dunedin winter meeting. — Mr Philp remarked that the horse could have been entered by cablegram, and the Secretary stated that the nomination was dated 17th July, and was signed by Mr J. R. Mackenzie. Mr Robertson further said Mr Mackenzie had written a letter to Dunedin stating that he fetched the horse Warepa overland. Mr Parkes' brother told witness that after the horse was landed here off the train Mr Mackenzie wanted to put him up at Mr Taggart's, but that Parkes' brother advised him to have the horse put up at Scott's. Yet Mr Mackenzie now wrote to Dunedin stating that he came overland with the horse. He had seen Mr Parkes' signature at the railway station, and it was in the same writing as the signature "P. Gordon" for the delivery of the horse from the Bluff. . There were some persons in Dunedin who could say that both signatures were in the same handwriting. He had examined the railway books, and found that this was the only horse which came up from the Bluff that week. He°should like to have time to write to the Jockey Club who sold the horse to get his brands. The brand of the horse landed at (he Bluff would he easily known — F on the hhonkler. Mr John Fleming said he happened to be down at the railway station cither on Tuesday or Wednesday night — he forgot which — to look after a horse that was coming from Milton, belonging to Mr Bannatyne. After the

south- train came in he saw Mr Parkes {the insurance man) getting a horse out of a box and said to him, " What horse is this ?" Parkes replied, " This horse is Warepa." Mr Scott, of Anderson's Bay road, was there. When the horse was got out of the box he (Mr Fleming) remarked to Parkes "He looks rather a nice 1 looking horse," and seeing a quantity of feed and straw in the box, he further said " Did you bring all this feed with him ?" Np more passed between them. Mr Philp: Then he did not look like a shepherd's horse ? F. G. Parkes was the next witness. He stated that at the meeting of stewards held on the 2nd August he said he had just come down from the North ; that he came by the express from Christchurch,andthatthehorsecameby the south express on the same evening as he arrived, but about half-an-hour sooner. Two days before the race meeting he offered Mr Mackenzie £30. for the horse, but he would not take that. On the morning of the races he offered Mr Mackenzie £35 for the horse, and £10 more if he won. He bought him on those conditions just before the race, but had not yet got a receipt. He gave Mr Mackenzie £35 when he arrived at the course in the moruing, and £10 after the race. He supposed that the horse Warepa which won the hurdle race was the same that was nominated by Mr Mackenzie on July 17 as a bay gelding syrs old, named Warepa, by Don Juan; that was how he bought the horse. Witness never was in Melbourne. He gave details of his trip to the North, stating that he went by rail to Christchurch, and from Lyttleton went by the Hawea or Hawera to Wellington. He had a steerage ticket, and forgot which boat he returned by. He was on board the Tarawera at Port Chalmers on the 2nd of July and went by her to the Bluif . He did not take out his passage before going aboard and did not pay his passage 'at all. At Port Chalmers he met a man named Gordon, who had to come back to town. He had previously m?t this man at Wanganui. Gordon had a ticket for Melbourne, and as he had to return to Dunedin witness took his ticket to the Bluff, paving him £1 for it, and travelled to the Bluff by the Tarawera. Witness had to go there on business for his brother. At the Bluff he met Gordon, who came overland. Witness stayed there that night; and came back by train next morning. He did not come by the train which brought Mr Mackenzie and his horse. It was on a different date when Mr Mackenzie arrived with his horse. He believed that Mr Mackenzie told his (witness') brother that there was a horse, from the Bluff on board the train ; that he also had his own horse on board and asked witness' brother to have a look at him. Witness did not arrive by the northern express until an hour after that (the same day that Mr Mackenzie arrived at the railway station). Witness's full name was Frank Gordon Parkes. The signature for " Kino " in the club's book (produced) was in witness' writing. The man Gordon was no relation of his. He was a man who dealt in horses, and witness did not know where he was to be found now. The signature in the official book produced was witness. Witness did not sign for the horse that was landed at the Bluff. Witness did not recognise the railway delivery book produced. He did not write the signature "P. Gordon" written there. He did not know whether his brother received the horse ; he did not know anything about that. The horse was not at the railway station when he arrived. Mr Taggart : I understood you to say on a former occasion that you thought Mr Mackenzie came overland, with his horse. — I believe t,o. What became of this horse which your brother took possession of ? — He took possession of no horse. Well, what became of the horse that went up to Scott's? — Witness: Do you mean the horse which Mackenzie says he took up to Scott's ? I mean the horse which came by train that night.. How could' it come overland if he brought it by train? — But that horse did not come by train. But you stated here on a previous evening that this horse came by the southern train ? — I believe ahorse did come by the southern train, but I did not say this horse came. Mr Meeman: You do not say that Mr Mackenzie's horse came overland ? — I don't know whether it came overland or by train or by anything else. Witness contiuued : It is stated that over £100 was given for Problem in Melbourne, and Mr Mackenzie would not sell horse like that to me or anybody else for £45. He had made inquiries about that horse. He had been at the Bluff and found that horse was shipped to tbe Bluff by the Te Anau by a man named Gordon. I have asked a party who wanted to buy that horse for its description, but he has not yet f,old me. I will swear that the signature "P. Gordon" for delivery of that horse and my signature in the club's book produced are not in the same handwriting. I can swear that I never signed for the delivery of any horse. Mr Taggart : Did you not ride in the horsebox on July 27 all the way from the Bluff to Duueilin? No, I did not. In reply to Mr Taggarfc, Mr Fleming said that when he saw Mr Parkes' brother at the railway station on July 27 a red-haired man was along with him (Parkes). Mr Philp to witness : Can you give us a de- j scription of this man Gordon ? — He is rather a tall fellow, with rather longer whiskers than the secretary (Mr James) has. He is of a dark complexion. The Chairman : Your brother living in town here has stated, I believe, that you were in Melbourne; would that be untrue? — Yes, it would. Mr Parkes called as witnesses Messrs Scott, T. Kett, S. Counter, T. Cotton. The three , former merely gave it as their impression that ! the horse which won the hurdle race at the Dunedin winter meeting was the same as that which was purchased iv the Provincial saleyard. Cotton, however, was of the opposite opinion, he having ridden at the saleyard the horse sold there. ' Mr Taggart made a statement, as also did Mr H. James. The latter related the circumstances under which some time ago he was told that Mr F. G. Parkes was then in Melbourne. A committee was then appointed to inspect the horse which won the race, and for that purpose to proceed to a stable on the Flat, where Mr Parkes said he was keeping it. Mr S. James was instructed to communicate with Mr Moore, secretary of the Victoria Jockey Club, to obtain a description of the horse Problem.

At the adjourned meeting held on Tuesday night in Philp's Terminus Hotel there were present — Messrs Hazlett(president), p. Mcenan, M. Fagan, J. Fleming, H. Gourley, W. H. Taggart, Philp, Davidson, and Sydney James (secretary). The Secretary recapitulated the stages of the inquiry so far as it had progresßed, and said that Mr Philp had since, on behalf of the committee, made inquiries and was able to certify that certain statements maue by the protester were

correct as to a horse having been landed afc the , Bluff and brought up to Dunedin. , Mr Phii.p said from inquiries made through the courtesy of the Union Compauy he was able to arrive at the conclusion that the statements were perfectly true. It would be remembered that Mr Parkes said he had been to the North Island, and being asked by what steamer he weufc from Lyttelton to Wellington, he said, after hesitation, the Hawera or Hawea, or some j such name. Inquiries showed that at this time the Hawea was at Auckland, and the only other hteamer with a somewhat similarly sounding name — the Mawhera— at Fiji. j ' The Secretary then produced a copy of the Australasian, showing that after the Selling j Hurdle race in Victoria, the winner, Problem, I was sold to P. F. Gordon for 165 soys. He also put in certain nominations received by the D. J.C. for their Hunt Club meeting on Saturday evening last. Amongst them was one from P. Gordon, uomiuating a horse called New Chum. Gordon had been communicated with at the addresses he gaye — Waikouaiti and Hampdeu— and was unknown in either place. He also read correspondence with Mr Mackenzie,asking him whether the horse that he said he sent down overland from Tapanui stopped on the way down. Mr Mackenzie replied that he did not; see why he should get evidence for the protester. Mr Philp said that he had also ascertained that on the 3rd August a horse was sent down to j Port Chalmers consigned by Peters to P. Gordon, was rather ostentatiously led about the streets, and then brought back to town. No boat left on 3rd August ; tuo Rotornahana was the next to leave, and no horse was on boar^ her. The Secretary then stated further evidence. He had cabled to tho Secretary of the Victorian Racing Club for a description of Problem, and had received the following reply. — "Problem, by Bonnie Carlisle, 6yrs old, bright bay gelding broad white stripe down face, three white fetlocks, branded F near shoulder, and possibly F F near wether under saddle mark." This corresponded with a description by Mr Douglass, veterinary surgeon, of the horse now at Musselbrugh, save that the latter gave the brands thus : " F near shoulder and F near saddle." A letter put in from Parkes at Dunedin to Mackenzie at Waipahi upon the subject of the inquiry bore date 10th August, and Mr Mackenzie's reply from Waipahi was dated the same day. There was also evidence that the signature "F. Gordon" for the delivery of a horse brought from the Bluff to Dunedin by train on July 27 was in the same handwriting as a letter signed " J. R. Mackenzie." J. R. Mackenzie was then called and asked by the chairman whether he had any further statement to make about the horse Warepa. Mr Mackenzie : No. I have no statement to make at all. The Chairman: Do you still persist that it is the same horso and name you nominated. Mr Mackenzie : Yes. Still. The Chairman : The club do not want to take you up short, and would be very glad to have evidence from you. Yet from the evidence at present they are convinced the horse came from Melbourne, and they believe it to be Problem. Mr Mackenzie said it was not Problem, and he wanted to hear the evidence they went on. The Secretary then commenced to detail the evidence as to the description of Problem, as to a horse having been lauded from the Te Anau at the Bluff, and received by Mr Parkes, &c. Mr Mackenzie asked the date of the race won by Problem in Victoria. The Secretary: 17th July. Mr Mackenzie: And what date were the nominations due here ? The Secretary : The same date. Mr Mackenzie said he forwarded his nominations of Warepa on the 16th, and he should like to know how Problem could be nominated here then. The Chairman : Very easily. . Mr Mackenzie : Is it likely that if Problem was bought before tho race £165 should have been given for him by Gordon afterwards. The Chairman : It is not only likely, but there is not the least doubt that the whole thing has been done. Mr Mackenzie said he should bring evidence from Melbourne if he had time, that the horse was not Problem ; and he did not see why he should be connected with Parkes in any way, even if the latter did bring a horse over. He entered a horse for the race, and because' people did not happen to known him, and he spoiled some of their little games, they said it had been brought over from Melbourne. He thought he had a right to cross-examine the witness. The Chairman : I think you have a right the very fullest chance of getting yourself out of the scrape. Mr Mackeuzie said he was in no scrape. In reply to questions he went on to sny that he sent the horse (Warepa) down from Tapanui in charge of a young fellow who was working for him. He was not sent by train. He was to go [ over the Blue Mountains and by the short track, not by the Main road. He could not say where the boy put up on the way, and he had paid him off after the race and did not know where he could be found. He would take his oath he did not sign " F. Gordon " on taking delivery of a horse from the Bluff at the railway station. He knew Gordon, but could not say where he was to be found. Gordon and Parkes were not the same man. Mr Philp : I saw the signature at the railway station, and there can be no mistake. You .signed for that horse. Mr Mackenzie : Not at all. Mr Philp : You may have forgotten it, but you did. Mr Mackenzie: Cannot two men write the same ? I can write three different hands if you give me different pens. Mr Philp : There is no mistake about the signature, and it is " F." instead of "P." Gordon. You were thinking of F. Parkes at the time. Mr Mackenzie said there was a question he should like to ask. Had Mr Taggart a treble on this race ? Mr TAGGiRT said ho had had no bet with a bookmaker, for years. The only money he had at this meeting was 10s on his own horse. Mr Mackenzie went on to say that he offered tbis horse to Mr Taggart for £35, and it was not likely he would do that if he was worth £165. The Chairman, after some further remarks, said they had a telegram from a reliable source at Waipahi as follows : — "The horse bought by Mackenzie out of the Wanganui lot is still at tho Pomahaka, and has never been away to the best of my knowledge." Mr Mackenzie said no man in the Tapanui district knew what horses ho had in the stable ; and besides he had his horses all over the run, and no one knew which wivs the Wanganu' horse Mr Fagan : It seems strange that all this time you could not get evidence about having sent this horse down overland from the station. Mr Mackenzie asked what evidence there was for him to get. He had his own work to do. I Mr Fagan: Would it not have been easy to

bring evidence that tho horse had come down, and the way he came ? Mr Mackenzie : No. It might have givon me some trouble. Mr Pjjilf ; If I had been you I would have had it. I would have advertised for that boy. In reply to the Chairman's question as to whether ho had any other statement, Mr Mackenzie said unless-the club were going to decide iv his favour he would like six weeks to bring the owner of Problem over from Melbourne. The Chairman said the club's decision need not prevent him doing that. Nothing would give them greater pleasure than to rescind it. Mr Mackenzie said it was very easy to get a disqualification on, but not to get it off again. He could not understand how they had mixed' up this horse at all with the one that came by the Te Anau. Mr Fleming remarked that they had independent information that Parkes had been seen with the horse at the Bluff. Mr Mackenzie said he must demand the names of the informant and of the man who telegraphed from Tapanui about his horse being there. The Chairman : We will not give you them. Mr Mackenzie : Then they will come out in a different place to this. Mr Gourley said he thought Mr Mackenzie did not realise his proper position. He seemed to think he had a grievance against the club, and that they had no right to investigate this matter. It might be as well to tell him that if any man entered a protest it was the duty of the club to investigate it, and it' supported by reasonable evidence to uphold it ; and it was also the duty of tho man accused to get all tho evidence possible on his bide, not to come there in a bantering, and he might almost say impertinent, way, as if the club were trying to injure him. They were doing what it was their duty to do, and Mr Mackenzie should understand that any man attempting anything liko a swindle upon the racecourse ought to be severely punished according to racing laws. Therefore, with this hanging over him it was his duty to try and[ clear himself, not to come there as though he. were an injured party. He therefore advised him to look at the matter from a different standpoint. Everything he had done that evening was nob calculated to advance his interests before a body of intelligent men. No doubt when he had lived a few years longer he would understand how to conduct himself better iv the presence of men of mature age. Mr Mackenzie said the way racing was carried on in New Zealand was apt to mislead young fellows as to what was right and what was wrong. They repeatedly saw horses pulled, for example, and it was even rumoured freely on the course beforehand that such and such a horse was going to be pulled. The Chairman said the club were under the impression that a palpable swindle had beeu committed, and that they had got to the bottom of ifc. Mr Mackenzie : Oh no ; you are a long way from the bottom of it. The jockey Sharp was then called, and gave evidence that he had been engaged by Mr Mackenzie to ride Warepa on the morning of the race. Mr Parkes had not employed him or spoken to him about it. Mr F. G. Parkes was next called into the room, and in reply to the chairman, said that since the last meeting of the stewards ho had not obtained evidence to prove the truth of his statement regarding the horse that won the 'hurdle race. The only proof which he could have had would have been the officers of the Te Anau. He kept the horse in for two days, thinking that the club would bring the Te Anau people. The Chairman stated that some members of the club had seen the Te Anau people. He might inform Mr Parkes that the club were now in possession of evidence which left very little doubt that he horse which won the hurdle race at the Dunedin winter meeting was Problem. Mr Parkes : Well, if you think that, you ought to give us time write to the man who owned Problem in Melbourne to see whether it really is the horse. The Chairman: Yos; but anything we may do to-night will not prevent you bringing up the master again. Any decision we may come to will not preclude you from bringing up the matter again if you can prove that this horse is Warepa. The telegrams from Melbourne were then again read. Witness said the description given did not tally w ; .fch that of his horse. There was another brand on it. He had seen by the Sportsman that the horse Problem was entered for some I country meeting in Victoria, and that M'lvor had taken it up there after the race which it (Problem) won at the Grand National meeting. The Secretary said that he had carefully perused the latest numbers of the Sportsman and could not find mention of the horse Problem. Mr Fleming, to Mr Parkes : There's a man who can identify you as having been seen with the horse.-— Where is he? Mr Fleming : At the Bluff. Mr Gourley : Were you there in charge on the horse ? — No ; I was not. Then the mala who wrote this letter (produced and read) is wrong ? — Yes; he is wrong. I was at the Bluff, but not at that date. Mr Phii/p : There is one thing you mentioned in the evidence you gave here on a previous night— that you left Lyttelton for Wellington by the Hawea or Hawera. Now, the Hawealeft Port Chalmers on the 29th June, and Lyttelton on the 30th ; and the only other steamer the riame of which is at all like Hawea is the Mawhera, which was then in Fiji, and there is no steamer called Hawera? — Well, I am sure I do not know what boat I travelled by at any time. I did not take particular notice of the name of the boat. He could not say how it came that tho initial letters of his full name would, if transposed, be the same as those of P. F. Gordon, who purchased Problem in Melbourne. Mr Mackenzie here stated that since he had arrived at Dunedin he had met different people who were of opiuion that "this was a gone case." Why, one member of the clud told him the best thing he could do was to " clear away home." A conple of racing men had been trying to " pump " him, but he told them he knew nothing about the horse Problem. The Chairman: I don't think there is a single member of this club but what would like to see you clear of this case. Mr Fagan thought Mr Mackenzie did not comprehend the serious position in which he was placed. The club would give him every chance to clear himself. If Mr Mackenzie thought that he could bring evidence to show that he brought Warepa overland from Tapanui, he would rnovo that the meeting be adjourned for a week or 10 days. After further discussion, Mr Philp said to Mackenzie : Do you wish for j time to bring witnesses ? Cannot you get people who saw you training the horse at the station? I —No. I have a private course ; there is only one

( Id man who has seen me training the horse, and he never looks at a hor&e, 1 think. Can you not have the horse identified? — I can identify it as the horse I bought in the saleyard. The Chairman : That is not sufficent. Mr Mackenzie (leaving the room) : Good-bye, gentlemen. The Chairman said they had heard all the evidence, and he thought the stewards could come to no other conclusion than that a deliberate swindle had been perpetrated in the hurdle race in the late meeting. Such punishment should be inflicted as would prevent this sort of thing occurring again. Mr Gourlky must Bay that the evidence he had heard that night was sufficient to satisfy any reasonable man that a swindle had been attempted and boen partially successful. The parties to it had not even the excuse — which would be a very lame one — of poverty ; these men were in positions which should put them above attempting barefaced swindles such as this. He was only sorry that the club had not the power to do more in the way of punishment than it had. He concluded by commenting on the evidence. Mr Fleming mentioned that evidence could be brought that the horse Warepa had not yet left the Tapanui district. It was unanimously resolved :— " That the bay gelding that ran under the name of ' Warepa at tho winter meeting of the • Dunedin Jockey Club be disqualified for ever, he not being the horse he was represented to be ; that J. R. Mackenzie and F. G. Parkes bo disqualified for ever — the former for knowingly entering and the latter for knowingly running the said Warepa." The meeting then terminated.