RUBBED OUT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 53, 8 April 1914, Page 8

RUBBED OUT.

HECTOR GRAY DISQUALIFIED. Nemesis appears to have overtaken the connections of Wallalo, and for the next two years, owner E. Eccles, trainer M. M'Grath, and jockey Hector Gray will have plenty of time to think bf the ups and downs of turf life. Apparently the cause of their downfall Avas something that happened last Saturday at the Hawkesbury meeting, and whatever it was it -must have been of a strong nature. Truly Wallalo and his owner, E. Eccles, have gone up like a j rocket and came down like the stick. Prior to the recent V.R.C. Autumn meeting the son of Wallace was practically, unknown to fame except as a second rate hurdler. Nor did his showing in the Woodcliff Handicap at the V.A.T.C. meeting last February suggest him as ever likely to set the Thames on fire. Yet within a fortnight's time he came out at the V.R.C. meeting, and after winning the weight-for-age Essendon Stakes put the seal on his fame by appropriating the Australian Cup. Exactly how. much his owner took out of the ring over the two Flemington races is a matter of conjecture, but he is known as a daring bettor, and having the market practically to himself, would not have to speculate very heavily to win a small fortune.' Still he must have received a rude shock between the decision of the Essendon Stakes and Australian Cup, for after, Wallalo had prevailed in the former the stewards became inquisitive as to the disparity of the gelding's displays a,t Caulfield - and Flemington. Evidently their suspicion that all was not as it should be was allayed 1 by a story that Wallalo had been given a feed of rank grass by a stable boy before starting in the Woodcliff Handicap at Caulfield, which caused him to scour. Some horses have a habit of failing to do their best in minor events before a big meeting, and it would seem that Wallalo is one of those. He was engaged in the High Weight Handicap at Hawkesbury last Saturday amongst a - lot of moderates, and evidently the stipendiary stewards, bearing in mind his Victorian inconsistency, put their feet dow;n in no undecided, fashion. Whether Hector Gray wa,s a party to the happening is, of course, hard to say, for though pranks may be played with a horse, the jockey is not always let into the joke. Still his past recdrd would hardly be in his favour, for it is not so long ago that he found himself in a similar position with the New Zealand racing authorities. This will probably mean the finish of his career as a successful horseman, as his sentence will be in force throughout Australasia, and at the end of two years he will hardly be capable of getting down to > anything like a useful riding weight. Still he can look on the whole affair with a certain amount of equanimity for he is known to be one of the richest' niembers' of his profession in the Dominion. Trainer-M'Grath is also an ex-New Zealander, a fact that is not likely to help the stigma attached to the reputation of Dominion trainers and riders which undoubtedly exists with the Australian Turf authorities. . TEMPLAR.