A JOCKEY'S RING.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12897, 7 February 1906, Page 3

A JOCKEY'S RING.

(" Wanganui Chronicle.")

It is a recognised fact that, despite the existence of an admirably constituted Racing Conference, and in larger centres ably-managed metropolitan bodies, the miscalled " sport of kings "• is being conducted in a manner anything but befitting such a pretentious title. The two chief factors concerned in the maintenance of the sport are, firstly, the public who support it. by finding the money to run it (and without whom it could not possibly exist), and, secondly, the owners, trainers, and jockeys who provide, train, and run, the horses, and, incidentally, receive the prizes. It would naturally be expected that the lastnamed section would recognise a certain amount of indebtedness to the public for their support, and endeavour to merit their appreciation by keeping the sport pure and wholesome, 1 and doing their best to attTact new patrons. Instead of this being the case, however, a large proportion of them adopt ah attitude distinctly antagonistic to the public, whom they delude and deceive upon every favourable opportunity, running their horses to win or to lose according to the way it best suits the animals' racing campaign. This state of things has advanced to such a stage that a knowledge of horseflesh, condition, or form is utterly valueless to the turf patron -Ninety per cent, of the general public who attend race meetings at the present time are fully aware that a certain proportion of thevowners .they..-are supporting are doing their level best to "trick them out of their money. Their concern is to find out, not what "can" win, but "what shev Une owners) are doing." There are n'o doubt some owners represented whose straighrness is absolutely bevond suspicion, rhat is all right. Then there is the owner who is u waiting " for a nice later on. Another has a horse engaged that, is palpably unfit and has no chance, but wants a race or two among other horses. Another could win easily, but his owner wants to get him down in the scale of weights. Another is xr-wned bv a bookmaker: it is usually risky to back him. although he may possibly be ou: to win. Ilien" there is the outsider whose owner has " bought in" the only competitor he is afraid of. The puzzled backer is out for the day. aadis there to bet. Mver.tuallv lie v«ake< a piunge in the dark. ;uul after t:k- race fia i<-. usu:;:]y Jr. ;';!c p;io:>vi,;ble position of tae >n:tn who '" ».ii'j.tn to have kn w:i."

'"might have guessed as much.'" eW\ Av.d so the ga:ne goes on. The hell rings, the colours are up. tin- crowd roars, the tote tinkles, and the mesmerised j>>tinker again woos the giddy goddess «if fortune. In. doing so he knows perfectly that in many cases it is his luck against, .the owners' wits, and he generally comes off second best. The tnrf patron" takes niaxy risks and of various kinds in backing berses. He may see a- horse go out,

fancies it and backs it. and it nwv win. For having run badly in a previous race, of which the backer probably knows nothing, the horse is disqualified, and tb«> investor loses his money. The first and most urgent, consideration in the ethic* of Hippie contests should be the protection of the public, who rir.d the sinews of war. It is therefore most deplorable that, with such a strenuous environment of officialdom as obtains at present, such a state of things as has been described should exist. The whole question is one which should Ua thoroughly investigated by tin- responsible authorities, and drastic punishment meted out to all proved offenders. It j s this aspect of the case, however, that demands the greatest, circumspection, so that- the hmio«;it should not be made to suffer for (the guilty; and it seems highly probab'e from the present of thinirs that this is very likely to happtn. During the past month there has been a great outcry in certain sporting journals about a sup posed "joeteys' ring"' which is presumed to exist between Welling;«n and New Plymouth. Certain vague and undefined rumours, based upon "racing authorities" and experts who keep well back under the shadow of anonimity, have been made, to the effect that a jockeys' ring actually exists in our midst, and*that, behind the backs of owners, these jockeys meet in secret conclave and, arranging*the results' beforehand, ran th* race "t-." the disc«ia I fiture of their employers and the public, themselves reaping a golden harvest. To the casual cr dis-innissted racegoer this might sesnj to be highly probable, but to those actively associated with or in actual touch with the sport- of racing, it j s known to be almost, an impossibility" Racing in New Zealand is not upon the same foot in" as it is in Australia, where there aie meetings almost every day. and where, with a multiplicity of owners of every kind, colour, creed, and nationality, almost anything is possible, and where, in the cmtinuous jostle to come uppermost, jinkeys and owners have comparatively free hands. In New Zealand the number of owner*, jockeys and horses in racing condition is limited, and owners know almost t.» a fraction of a second the ability of their horses, and, keenly watching the progress of the raws, know instantly whether their horses have been ridden to" instructions or otherwise. There is no doubt th::t- at every meeting, as already Ft.ited. c;*es occur of jockeys who are isever me-*;;., and never try, to win; but these esses do -jjofc by any means constitute a " jocier*' ring." Far more possible and probable' is the ilreoty that the evil practices on the New Zealand tnrf io-tiay are attributable to the riff-raff of that large st-ction of hnr-e----owners who have no other object in running their horses than to get money, ami id it quickly, by fair means or foul. The great, majority of owner's i:i New Zealand ar* no doubt straight sportsmen, bat there is no disguising the existence of a large section of owners who are absolutely devoid of true sporting instincts. Joc.kevs who are in or near the front rank of their calling can afford to decline to ride to lose, but the poor unfortunates with wlum mounts are scarce and opportunities feware doubly subject to the pressure of temptation they are exposed to bv unscrupulous owners. The turf should be cleansed, and that as soon as possible; but, as has already been said, the innocent should not be made to suffer—even in reputation—for the guilty.