RACING SENSATION.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 520, 1 August 1932, Page 8

RACING SENSATION.

Twelve Victorian Jockeys Refused Licenses for New Season.

LEADING RIDERS AFFECTED.

(United Press Association,—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Received August 1, 11 a.m.)

MELBOURNE, August 1. THE VICTORIAN RACING CLUB COMMITTEE, the ruling body for the sport in that State, has taken action against twelve of the leading riders in Victoria. Among the jockeys affected is N. Percival, who won the last Melbourne Cup on White Nose.

No reasons have been given by the V.R.C. committee, which has refused licenses for the new season, which opens to-day, to W. Brady, If. Bastian, R. A. Evans, W. J. Howson, T. Lewis, 11. Morris, N. Percival, W. Scanlon, J. S. Scarlett, P. Tehan and R. Wilson. The permit of the apprentice rider, P. Egan, has also been withdrawn.

Rumours that something of the sort was coming have been current since the V.R.C. refused licenses to six of the leading bookmakers at Flemington, but the club delayed making any announcement till the racing year ended.

The V.R.C. Committee has sprung the greatest racing sensation that Australia has experienced since the notable Purser case of 1924, which resulted in the disqualification of the prominent owners, Messrs G. Tye and J. Corteen, a leading trainer, C. T. Godby, and jockey, the late Hugh Cairns. That case aroused very bitter feeling, in which the newspapers took sides and the law* courts were invoked. In the “ Star ” on Thursday, a letter to a member of the staff from a wellknowfi Melbourne racing man was published, from which the following is an extract:—“You will have heard of the V.R.C. withholding licenses from a number of leading bookmakers. One or two of them may be reinstated, but for the others it is a case of farewell. Jockey R. Wilson applied for a clearance to India, but it was refused by the V.R.C. Black clouds are looming from the same quarter for a certain jockey who rode the -winner of a Melbourne Cup not so long ago, and he may 7 have one or two other jockeys for companions in his trouble.”

The V.R.C. has certainly proved no respecter of persons in dealing with these jockeys. N. Percival, often referred to as “ the much-travelled,” from his practice of rushing from State to State to take rides, is known to racing all over the Commonwealth. W. Scanlon, who did some riding in Europe a few years ago, won the V.R.C. and A.J.C. St Legers last autumn on Middle Watch. Ray Wilson won the last Sydney Cup on Johnnie Jason, just beating the New Zealander, Admiral Drake. W. Howson won the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles last year on Cockcrow 7. Every rider concerned is well known in the sport. No reason for its action in regard to the bookmakers has been given by the V.R.C., and it will probably follow a similar course in regard to the jockeys. One effect of the latest punishments will be to make openings for New Zealand jockeys in Melbourne. H. Wiggins, I. Tucker and W. J. Broughton have recently gone across with the idea of establishing themselves there.