THE KAITERE DISQUALIFICATION

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 50

THE KAITERE DISQUALIFICATION

What appears to be a remarkable piece ot carelessness on the part of horse owners has been unearthed! in connection svith the hearing of the- protest against iCaittre, who was objected to on the- ground that he was not qualified 1 to start in the. iace. The inquiry revealed the fact that none of the placed horses, in the race wcro qualified to start, and the only other starter did not complete the course-. The finding of the A.R.C. stewards is appended', Jind if a substantial fine- had been inflicted for wrongful nomination it might ha^c been the moans of making owners study the conditions attaching to races for which they intend entering horses. After Kiatere had Yfon tho Pakuranga Steeplechase' on the last day 3f the A.R.G. winter meeting, a protest was lodged' against him on the ground 'that the hor»e had not qualified in acordance with the conditions laid down for hunters' races. The A.^.C r towards took a long time to rhrjfih out the disputed 1 point, and eventually the following resolutions wore come to: — "1. That the horse KiaAere bo disqualified rs regards the Pakuranga Steeplechase upon the grounds (a) That his owner is not a member of a recognised hunt club, and (b) that no certificate in respect of this hoi so, within tho meaning of rule 165, section 6, of the Rules of Racing, and rule 21 of the Rules of the New Zealand Hunt Club Association, has been issued. 2. That the stewards accept Mr Darsragh's explanation that he was unaware of the requirements as to membership when entering and starting his horse. 3. That; as to each of the horses Star and Taranaki no quaHfred certificates within the meaaing of rulo 165, section. 6, of the Rules of Racing, and rule 21 of the Rules of the New Zealand Hunt O'.ub Association having been issued, neither of tho said horses was entitled to start in the Pakurauga Steeplechase, and 1 they arc therefore respectively di&qualnied. 4. That holders of totalizator tickets for money invested on the- hordes Kiatere, Taranaki, and Star respectively shall bo entitled to a refund of their investment 1 ' in full, and that holders of iotalisator tickets for money invested on tho horse Tuni phall also be entitled to a refund of their investments in full." A more unsatisfactory case it would be indeejeli hard to find. The thro© horses filling the places were allowed to start, although none of them fulfilled the conditions governing the. race. Why ihis should have been so is not apparent. The stewards, finding that a breach of the rules had been committed, unquestionably did the right thing in declai-ing the iac© "of?," for Tuni, the only horse which one supposes correctly complied with the Conditions, did! not finish. The only sufferers are tho backers of Kiatere, who had no possible means of finding out whether the horse uas qualified or not, and these may be forgiven the grumbling they have indulged in over the fiasco.