CROWD AT RACES BECOMES ANGRY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18959, 4 January 1930, Page 13

CROWD AT RACES BECOMES ANGRY.

make demonstration against winner. INVERCARGILL, January 4. After Lucky Light had passed the winning post in the Final Handicap at the Southland Racing Chab’s meeting yesterday, the crowd, both in the pad dock and outside enclosures, commenc ed a hostile demonstration against the owner, Mr W. T. Hazlett, president of the club, and the rider-trainer, F. J M’Kay, that grew in intensity for several minutes until one of the members of the Judicial Committee ordered that the inquiry flag should be hoisted. Mr Hazlett himself i$ chairman of that committee, and in this instance only the other members, Messrs W. Grieve (acting-chairman), J. B. Thomson, Eric M. Russel 1 , and Dr Garfield Crawford heard the case. In_ the Waihopai Handicap on the previous day Lucky Light, Sst 31b, who was favourite, was right up with the leaders for five furlongs, then dropped hack, and at the finish only had Gold Tinge behind her. In yesterday’s race Lucky Light had 7st 131 b, and until the final adjustment on the totalisator was showing a price nearer double figures than even money, but when the final figures were rung up they showed her to be second favourite. At the barrier, where her rider drew the rails, she was very fractious. Less than half a mile had been covered when she was running at the tail of her field, but once round the far turn she put in a wonderful run which landed her first into the straight. Instead of running out from, the rails as she did at the finish of the Spring Plate at Riccarton last November, she finished as straight as an arrow and won easily by a length from Red Sea. It was then the demonstration commenced, and it was continued for an hour and twenty minutes, when it was announced “That in view of the evidence submitted it was unanimously resolved that the explanations of the owner and rider be accepted. The evidence disclosed that the horse was substantially backed by both owner and trainer on both days.” Even then (6.55 p.m.) the crowd hung about the birdcage, but in the meantime the police had been reinforced and vyere well distributed. Except for the hooting and counting out. of the owner, the people were quite orderly.