SPOILED SPORT.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14341, 13 January 1911, Page 2

SPOILED SPORT.

VARIETY AX A RACE MEETING. Waving chair bats, and vigorously crying "No raooi" about a hundred or so spectators who formed part of the attendance at tho Pleasant Point rawr. yesterday, struggled and puslud in front of tho stewards' stand, and gave an exhibition of disorderly lohaviour that him seldom boon seen before in South Canterbury. Too cause of tho disturbance; lay in tho running of the Electric Handicap, in which six horses were competing, and which wns delayed by the failure of tho official starter to send the animals off in dacent order*. The crowd broko through j the fence, hustled the starter, and made tlio chance of seeing a good race even more remote than it had been before. A couple of policemen, in uniform, endeavoured to put the crowd off tho course, for as the horses were dancing and plunging about, the danger of an accident occurring was very evident. Some of tho more, rowdy spectators jeered mercilessly at, tho starter, and that gentleman cantered off, and back to the quieter regions round itho secretary's tent. An outsider, prompted, it is uncertain by whom, next essayed to get the horses going, and after a. fashion succeeded, though the favourite was blocked. .. , Trouble ensued when the race - fiiusneo, and on the deafening call of the crowd the stewards met and decided that the race should be re-run and that all bets were off. This decision caused a further disturbance, for according to> authorities the rule on the point reads that where a race is to be re-run tho bets hold good. Some bookmakers returned the money to backers, and some did not, and the rowdyism continued. AVhen the race did legally como oft, three of the horses had pulled out, including the favourite, and tho winner ■was the same as in the first essay. One of the stewards who had Been appointed on ■■the spot to replace the official starter, managed the Domain Handicap all right, but through tno crowd's interference, the Farewell Handicap developed into nothing more or less than a farce. There -were several false starts, but whether the amateur starter called "Go" or "No" on these occasions it was difficult to tell. inn crowd took complete chargo for a good half hour on this occasion. Unco it was in an nngrv mood, and thinas had an uglv look, but the amusing S'd3 of the proceedings struck some of the spectators at the critical moment, andwhile the honlces fretted ;>nd fumed, the irresponsible enjovEd tho incident in their own way. Altogether it was an afternoon of great variety.