MUCH INTERFERENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 12, 5 April 1927, Page 6

MUCH INTERFERENCE

RIDERS TAKE RISKS NECESSITY FOR PATROL STEWARDS After the first race at Whangarei on Saturday, the Trial Stakes, the rider of the winner was haled before the stewards, who inquired into the interference that occurred during the running. J. Conquest was the horseman, and the winner was the little-fancied Creation, and incidentally the gelding endeavoured to upset the whole creation. The examination revealed the fact that Creation bored over on to Exalted and Segment when the pressure was being applied at the vital stage, but as it was thought that the incident was accidental and result was not affected, no action was taken. But this affair was rather mild when some of the other incidents were left to go without a question being asked compared with a few other incidents noticed, and one of which very nearly led to a serious accident. On this small course jockeys may be excused for their anxFety to get away well when the race is started on a bend, but this does not. mean they should get away with it when in so dealing they seriously interfere with other competitors. A particularly glaring case was at the start of one of the six-furlong events, when the horse on the outside cut straight across the two on the inside of him, and one was very nearly brought down; in fact, he was put down on his knees, and only the good horsemanship of the boy enabled him to retain his seat. Accidents can so easily happen through this sort of thing—it is nothing more or less than rough riding on the part of the experienced rider at the expense of the comparatively inexperienced apprentice. In the case referred to the boy never uttered a complaint, but on returning to scale just tossed in his cloth and retired. It should not be left to the boys to lodge a complaint against another rider, for when all is said and done they are fellow workmen, but the officials responsible for the watching of a race should not have to wait for a complaint. There was one stipendiary present at Whangarei, but obviously one cannot be all round the course, and equally obvious is it that he cannot see everything from the stewards’ stand. The scheme of patrol stewards has much to commend it, but the difficulty lies in the fact that it is very hard to get the right men for the job.