THE RACES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1893, 2 March 1888, Page 23

THE RACES.

EDITOR WITNESS.

Sir,— Seriously, I would ask, is it not high time that the Dunedin Jockey Club should appoint a fresh starter in place of Mr Driver ? I ask this question as much in the interests of the club as in that of the long-suffering public ; for what can be more aggravating to people like myself, who love the time-honoured, manly, and national sport of horse racing, and who like to back their fancy for a pound on the totalisator, to [see a start effected while the animal they may have selected is standing at the post, or perhaps half-a-dozen lengths behind it, with its tail where its head should be?— witness the Suburban Welter at this week's meeting— or as in the City Stakes, starting the race while the horses are scattered over the course in most admired disorder while pulling up from a false start ? or worse still, as in the Forbury Handicap, raising his flag and lowering it— Mr Driver says to prevent his being run over by

Artillery, but with the same action as starting the race thereby throwing out all chance for the backers of Cinderella, which went the course, and won the race? The jockeys in the lastnamed race were quite justified in assuming that a start was meant by Mr Driver, as I and hundreds of others saw the flag raised and lowered in the ordinary way, and were not a little disgusted to find that no start was meant. Those are only a few of the most flagrant fiascos which occurred at this meeting ; but with two or three exceptions, the starting taken altogether has been simply abominable, so much so that I have frequently heard owners of valuable horses, brought here from long distances at great expense, say that they will never again enter their horses at our meetings while Mr Driver is retained as starter. Hence I say that the jockey club in its own interest should look to this matter.

I have no wish to say anything to Mr Driver's prejudice personally. He may be a conscientious, firm, and impartial mau, but, with respect, I would say that he is unsuitable for the position of starter at an important meeting like ours.

Of one thing I am quite sure, his retention as starter will be very prejudicial to the interests of the club ; not only in the number of entries of good horses, but in the amounts of money put through the totalisators. People are not likely to risk their money on horses whose chance of winning is so much at the mercy of such an erratic starter as Mr Driver.

Although not a horse, I am one of those patient, long-suffering animals who have to grin and bear the loss of their cash not from any lack of judgment on their part, but as the victims of incapacity, so I sign myself an ill-treated Cheval.

Dunedin, February 25.

P.S. — Since writing the above a further thought has occurred to me : If in the Forbury Handicap "No start " was a correct verdict, why was not the totalisators immediately thrown open so as to give the unfortunate backers of Cinderella an opportunity of recouping their inevitable loss by backing Silvermark or St. Clair, the two fresh horses which pulled up early in the race ? I submit that the club had no right to close the totalisators until the start bell had actually rung. My own impression is that holders of Cinderella tickets, if they still retain them, have a good sound claim on the jockey club for a return of their money. — Cheval.