WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 884, 14 February 1907, Page 9

WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, Feb. 13.

The victory of “Dad” Peters’ useful bit of horseflesh Aeolus at Riccarton, was well received here. Peters is credited with sending his horses to the post with winning orders each time they are saddled up, and when he scores the public are generally with him. Aeolus is nicely bred, his dam Santa Katarina and sire Euroclydon being full of the best strains of racing blood. As the result of a decision arrived at by the committee of the C.J.C., instructions were issued to Mr. Piper, the club’s starter, that no time was to be cut to waste through starts being delayed by the vagaries of fractious horses. The result was that at the start of the C.J.C. Midsummer Handicap Signalman was allowed short shrift. The starter made a couple of appeals to Signalman’s rider, V. Cotton, to join the other horses at the tapes. Cotton, however, was quite unable to get his mount to move in the desired direction, and Piper, acting up to his instructions, despatched the field, regardless of the fact that Sir George Clifford’s horse was standing some distance down the

course with his wrong end to the barrier.

A question that arises is, should the backers of Signalman lose the money they invested upon him on the totalisator. Quite a number of racegoers express the opinion that when any horse is left at the post backers should receive a return of their investment, less the usual 10 per cent. On the other hand, it is contended that the public invest their money on such unruly horses as Signalman with their eyes open and are entitled to no consideration at the hands of racing authorities. It would seem that if the nomination of unruly horses are to be received by racing clubs, no device for insuring their backers a run for their money should be neglected, and a contrivance recently devised for controlling refractory horses might well be given a trial. This contrivance was exhibited during the recent Trentham race meeting, and was approved of by many racing men, including the chairman of the Racing Conference, and Mr. Piper, the well-known starter. Undoubtedly a horse confined in the so-called breeching cannot in any way interfere with or annoy the balance of the competitors the delinquent must also remain there until the tapes fly up, when, unless the horse is of an unusually stubborn nature it must join the starters and take part in the race.