RACE DEVELOPS INTO RIOT

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1928, Page 11

RACE DEVELOPS INTO RIOT

CROWD TAKES CHARGE OF COURSE POLICE AND OFFICIALS POWERLESS SENSATION ON ELLERSLIE TRACK By Telegraph—Precs Aeeociation. Auckland, Last Night. Unprecedented scenes were witnessed at the Ellerslie racecourse this afternoon and an angry demonstration by a section of the crowd necessitated the postponement of the racingMounted and foot police were unable to clear the course to allow the racing to proceed. The principal handicap event, the Mitehelson Cup, contested by the Dominion’s best horses, the fourth race on the Auckland Racing Club’s programme at Ellerslie, was the cause of the demonstration. At the start only seven out of the fourteen runners left the barrier, the others being pulled up and one or two standing on the mark, apparently considering it was a false start. The other seven horses finished the race, Laughing Prince winning from Desert Glow and Mask, while the remaining seven stood on the course at the starting point and watched the field pass. After the horses came back the crowd surged on to the course and, despite the efforts of the police, they held up the racing.

The starters for the fifth race, the Hunters’ Steeplechase, went to leave the bird cage for their preliminary, but the crowd surged up against the enclosure and refused to let them out. Later the horses were walked behind the stands and entered the course proper through an alley on the hill enclosure. The starter, Mr. O’Connor, also adopted this method of going to the starting post at the seven furlongs’ barrier.

After some further delay the steeplechase was started 16 minutes late and with the crowd still thronging the course. There were many falls in this contest and when the leading house, Mashoor, approached the course proper to finish the crowd rushed down the straight and attempted to stop this and the two following horses. Only three finished the course. Seeing the hostile crowd in his way attempting to stop him from finishing the race, A. McGregor, the rider of Mashoor, met their challenge and, drawing his whip, despite the fact that the other horses were half a mile away, he rode his mount into the mob which tried right up to the last to stop him. -Amid cheers from the members’ stand and the grandstand, McGregor punched his horse home to win easily from Cui Bono and Clockwork, who were almost stopped by the crowd. It was a sensational affair and showed to what depths angry demonstrations would go. It is unofficially stated that the demonstrators made a demand to the stewards to appoint another starter; otherwise they would not allow the racing to proceed. THE RACES POSTPONED. Owing to the continued demonstration, the crowd refusing to leave the course, the committee decided aftey the steeplechase to postpone the remainder of the races until Monday. The remaining three events will be run on Monday afternoon, when the public will be admitted free of charge. Monday’s card will be staged on Tuesday. One man was knocked down by the horse of a mounted constable, and the crowd set up a yell of “pull him off 1” One man in the crowd then caught hold of the reins and for a moment or two matters were looking very ominous. A climax was almost reached when a woman refused to move out of the way when ordered by a constable and, hauling off, struck him.

When the judge, Mr. Lush, look his seat for the steeplechase he was vigorously “counted out.’’ The crowd were continuously calling out, “no more races to-day!” and the whole atmosphere was electric. At five minutes to four, when not more than 200 were round the entrance to the birdcage, Dr. McGregor Grant, a steward of the club, supported by other officials, mounted a step-ladder and addressed the crowds. He appealed to them but this had the opposite effect to that intended, for within a couple of minutes all who had dispersed a few minutes previously, supplemented by hundreds of others, rushed back to hear what was being said. Dr. Grant was counted out and another angry demonstration arose. The crowd was still in possession of the course at 4.10 p-m., when the racing was declared off for the day. The stewards held an inquiry into the start of the Mitehelson Cup. Mr. O’Connor, the starter, said he released the barrier to a proper start. Some of the spectators commenced to call out, and in his opinion this was responsible for the other riders pulling up, in addition to three that did not move off. McTavish, the rider of Te Kara, was walking his horse up behind the field and came up when called on to do so. The barrier was immediately released.

The starter considered the incident was the aftermath of a false start of the previous week at the Pakuranga Hunt meeting. There was nothing unusuel at the

start to warrant him calling a false start. P. Brady, the rider of Queen Arch, said he jumped out at the start but did not know whether to go or not, and when the crowd called out he pulled up after running some distance. • He had no other reason to think it was a false start. A. Tinker, rider of Star Stranger, R. McTavish, rider of Te Kara, L. Manson, rider of Valkon, C. Goldsbro (Mint Leaf), H. Wiggins (Catkin) and 0. McAlly (Tidal) also gave evidence from W’hich it appeared that some stayed at the post because they did not hear the starter call to them to “go,” though they knew the barried lifted properly and that they thought for some reason Te Kara had plunged into the tapes and released the barrier. Others pulled up'on account of the shouts of the spectators. The stewards said they had no option but to declare the race properly started in view of the starter’s evidence. Rule 5 of Part 24 of the Rules of Racing states: "The starter’s decision shall be final, except in the case of a start in front of the starting post or on the wrong ’course, or before the appointed time.”

When the crowd rushed the course and attempted to stop the horses at the finish of the steeplechase, several spectators were injured. J. J. Matthews, 109 Richmond Road, was also knocked down and sustained injuries to his ribs, lacerations and concussion. He was admitted to the Auckland Hospital. Another to suffer was A Williams, Peace Street, Rotorua, who had his ribs injured and was also taken ito hospital. “WRECK THE TOTALIZATOR!” I I In the outside enclosure there was a particularly angry demonstration and cries went up to wreck the totalisator. For a while matters looked serious, but a posse of something like twenty policemen was rushed to the scene and their presence had a restraining influence on the crowd. While the crowd continued to hoot and count out anybody and everybody, particularly those in the birdcage who looked like officials, a deputation of two men waited upon the stewards with a request that the backers of all the ho-ses who took no part in the Mitehelson Cup should have their money refunded. Even if the club was inclined to meet their request it was powerless to do so as Rule 14, Part 29, of the Rules of Racing states: “Unless herein specially provided to the contrary, all moneys paid for tickets shall go to the dividend and no claim for a refund of any such moneys shall be allowed.’’ This was explained to the deputation, which then withdrew.

Six jockeys were injured when their mounts fell in the Hunters’ Steeplechase, but none of them was severely hurt. At the first fence the first time round two riders, M. Conway, who was on Master Arch, and E. Warner, the rider of Archangel, were thrown heavily. Conway, whose skullcap was crushed by the impact, sustained a severe cut on the head and contusions. Warner was unconscious for about five minutes. On the final round four horses fell together at the first fence at the top of the hill and all the jockeys required medical treatment. S. Henderson, the rider of Marita, sustained a fracture of his right collarbone, while H. Dulieu, the rider of Rafferty, received injuries to his ribs and slight concussion. J. Shark.y, who was riding Importer, had his face severely cut and suffered slight concussion, and R. Syme, who fell from Pompeius, was picked up by the ambulance suffering from shock.

The St. John Ambulance had a busy time, as the stretcher bearers had only picked up the first two jockeys when it was seen the others had been injured. Meanwhile spectators had been knocked down oy horses coming up the finishing straight, and these required attention.