WAIPUKURAU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2355, 13 April 1899, Page 35

WAIPUKURAU.

The course at this meeting on Easter Monday was heavy and holding, and so boggy at the back as to make the horses slow down to a canter. Small fields wero tho order of the day, and the sum of £3801 passed through the totalisator was £713 below last year's total. The absence of some horses that were expected to perform was due to the objection raised on the score that certain jockeyn had competed at what are known as "oats meetings," those meetings being unregistered. This objection was taken over the very first race, and, being sustained, hordes that had run at the oats meetings were pulled out of their engagements in preference to taking any risks. The race referred to was the Hack Hurdles, for which there were four starters. Ruby ran off, but being put to the job again, she completed the course, and on her behalf the three placed horses were then protested against on the ground that their jockeys had ridden at unregistered meetings^ — Hannon, the rider of Schnapp3, at a Kapua-Norsewood meeting, and Mitchell and Turiroa, the jockeys of the second and third Jiorses, at a Maori oats meeting on Good. Friday at Mataiwi. The complaint was admitted, but as Hannon's offence had occurred tlii-ee yeara ago, and he had since obtained a license from tho metropolitan club, it was decided to pay out on Schnapps. Mitchell and Turiroa were disqualified on the ground that an " equalisator," in other words a • totalisator. was used at the Mataiwi meeting. It will be noticed that the ground of the disqualification is not quite on all-fouro with the objection, it being open to argument now whether Mitchell and Turiroa would havo been disqualified if there had not been a machine working at Mataiwi. The whole question is to bo referred to the metropolitan club for a decision. The only other race calling for comment is tho Flying Handioap. Mistra fell and unseated her rider (Wilson), who, however, got up and walked off unhurt. Whitiroa, the winner, was protested against by Mr Connop, owner of Amouroux, who alleged that his mare had boen jammed and bumped; but the stewards held that the case would be met by cautioning Jones, the rider who was s>aid to be the offender.