JOCKEY DISQUALIFIED

Taranaki Daily News, 1 February 1933, Page 4

JOCKEY DISQUALIFIED

CONCEALMENT IN BOOT.

. INGENIOUS BATTERY.

• At Albion Park racecourse,' Brisbane,; on January 21 ’ it became known that' a battery had come into the possession: of the stipendiary : stewards. The bat-, tery was an ingenious affair, as it was concealed in a riding boot, contact being gained through the side of the boot. Following an inquiry, the jockey, W. J. Tucker, was disqualified for five years. Albion Park racecourse has gained a lot of notoriety of late owing to the finding of two batteries at a recent meeting. W. J. Tucker rode in the first two. races on Hai4ee Fdrce and Early Force; respectively, and a little -later P. Mat-, thews, who is - in charge of the joc-: key’s room, found a pronged implement, lying outside Tucker’s • locker. He informed the chairman of the stewards and' Matthews was deputed to keep a, close, watch on Tucker. In the meantime Tuc-' ker had dressed and left the jockey’s room.

It is a strict rule that, all jockeys must, be- properly dressed before they leave, and when a racecourse detective saw ■Tucker in the paddock with his riding •boots on he went to interrogate him. As, a rule, riding boots do not have heels on them,-and because of the peculiarity, of Tucker's boots the jockey was requested to go back to the jockeys’ room. ■ An examination was made and it was discovered, that, there were two holes in the .side of the left boot and that the heel of the right boot was made of. cork. The detective conveyed his suspi-; cions to the chairman of the stewards,. and the Implement fourid in the first' instance was .fitted into the holes in the: boot and live contact was made.