A PECULIAR DECISION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2511, 30 April 1902, Page 46

A PECULIAR DECISION.

What, reads like an extraoulinary decision, was given by the stewards of the Adelaide Racing Club at their recent meeting. In the Steeplechase? Mermaid led all the way, and finally won by 12 lengths. A protect was < ntered on the ground of boring in the eaily part of the race, and Mermaid was disqualified. The horse interfered with was Regent, belonging to the same owner as Wir-.awa. who rim second. It was a two rrwle stFeplecha=e, and Regeur, the horse which was the tau-.' of Mermaid's disqualification, finished last in a field of six. When jumping a fence iji the early part of the race Regent and Mermaid collided, and Repent thus had her chance of winning extinguished ; but th<» stewards w«re of opinion that the interference was accidental, and exoneiated th» rider of Mermaid from any Mam p. To award the race to a horse that wa« never Interfered with in any part of the lace seems a strange- decision, and one for which it appears hard to find a valid rea.=on. The fact that the second lior^e ran in the same ownership as Regent would no doubt be responsible for the club's decision. It may be asked, Did Mermaid's interference with Regent prevent; Wirrawa from winning? Judging by reports th<»re is no reason to think so. Or again, if Wirrawa belonged to a different owner, would a protest lodged on the same grounds be rtpheH. The decision seems to b>6 partly based on sympathy, and the s*erdicL given on that instead of on cold reason.