A JOCKEY’S RING

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1929, Page 5

A JOCKEY’S RING

DISCLOSURES AT INQUIRY. RACE MEETING IS ABANDONED. ‘ Sydney, July 12. An extraordinary position has arisen among unregistered racing clubs in Queensland following a decision of the management of most of the clubs to reduce prize money. Disclosures of the operations of a jockeys’ ring in the races held on the courses have also been made during the inquest into the death of a rider named Rylatt, who was killed when a number of horses fell in a race at Kedron Park on May 27. Rylatt was riding in the Third Division Handicap when the smash occurred and his mount Donoric fell. Rylatt received a fractured skull and died a few hours after the occurrence.

Mrs. Rylatt, g'ving evidence before the coroner, said that her husband had often told her that there was a jockeys’ ring at Kedron Park, and that it was always decided before the race' started which horse was to win, and that all the jockeys in the ring would then back that horse. Any other rider, Mrs. Rylatt said her husband had told her, who made a forward move against- the selected horse of the jockeys’ ring would find himself in a “pocket” or forced to pull up his mount and go round a spreadeagled

Owner of the horse Donoric, Mr. Oliver John Devine, said that it was common knowledge among trainers and owners that a jockeys’ ring controlled the results of unregistered races in the Brisbane district. He said he was too frightened to give the'names of some of the jockeys who were in the ring. If he did so, he added, he might just as well shut his stables up and turn all his horses out into the paddock, as any such disclosure would ruin him in his business as a trainer. Witness said that the stewards were not strict enough, and that they had favourites among jockeys and trainers. Thomas H. Walsh, one of the riders in the Third Division Handicap, said that a jockey named Rolfe was the cause of the smash up, as he deliberately swung his mount across two other horses, one of which was*Donoric, on which Rylatt had the mount. The coroner has reserved his decision in order to give any other witnesses the opportunity to come forward. PRIZE MONEY CURTAILED. The action of the management in reducing the prize money allotted to the Kedron Park and other meetings has precipitated a crisis in the unregistered ranks? Trainers, owners arid jockeys have all gone on strike against the clubs, and have refused to enter their horses, or to ride in races, in the case of the jockeys. The clubs, however, are fighting them, and though two meetings have been held at Kedron Park since the trouble started, they have proved to be fiascos. At the first meeting only four horses appeared on the course to compete in five races. There were no jockeys to ride them, and the meeting was abandoned. On Wednesday last, another programme was announced, and on that occasion nine horses, four of which were trotters, came to the course. Two jockeys were on the spot and four boys who had occasion" Uy ridden work on the tracks.

Five races were run by the club, et'ery one of the horses competing twice during the afternoon. The trotting race, attracted the largest field, the four horses starting in that race. The disaffected trainers and jockeys gathered outside the gates of the course and made demonstrations. When the first race did not start till an hour after the advertised time of starting, there were cheers from the big crowd on the outer. Inside the enclosure there were only a hundred spcctati and three bookmakers. The totalisator takings for the afternoon were £5 15s. The club official" called a conference of the disaffected trainers and jockeys during the afternoon, and tried to reach a settlement of the dispute, but without success. Several meetings at other unregistered courses in the Brisbane area have been abandoned. The' owners, trainers, and jockeys affected have asked the Government to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire in ’) the administration and accounts of the proprietary interests controlling the unregistered racecourses in Queensland.