A SENSATIONAL DISQUALIFICATION.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1500, 23 January 1919, Page 9

A SENSATIONAL DISQUALIFICATION.

It has been an open secret for some time past that the committee of the Wellington Racing Club had disqualified Mr. E. Short, of Feilding, for a period of two years in connection with alleged happenings at the time of their spring meeting. What the disqualification was for there has been no official pronouncement, but Mr. Short met the Wellington District Committee on Thursday last, and after hearing what he had to say the finding of the Wellington R.C. committee was endorsed. Mr. Short thereupon lodged the necessary deposit to appeal to the Racing Conference, who, it is understood, will set up a committee to hear the appeal. In the meantime nothing further can be said. Why the disqualification was not officially announced shortly after it was imposed we are unaware. In th e interval Mr. Short has been racing his horses and winning with some of them. That, under certain circumstances, would complicate matters, but the delay in the holding of the District Committee meeting was, it is admitted, to give Mr. Short the time asked for as an act of consideration at his special request. While he was in Auckland during the progress of the summer meeting and for some time afterwards he was in hospital quarters, where he learned that the matter had been deferred until the 16th inst. In the event of the appeal judges deciding against him, the stakes won in the interval will, it is contended, not be affected, as dis- t qualifications do not take effect until they have been endorsed by the District Committee and upheld or rejected on appeal to the higher tribunal. Whatever the decision in the above case, it is time that enquiries were set on foot to. ascertain who are pulling the strings in connection with some racing stables. From the way certain people back horses not their own, and over which it is thought they have no control, it is often assumed that they are acting in the confidence of owners or as their agents. It sometimes becomes known, however, that the owners have no interest in the transactions, and have not encouraged anyone to do business directly or indirectly on their behalf. To even up matters with people who take such liberties, betting owners sometimes use the scratching pen, or ask their riders to do things they should not be parties to. Then the trouble begins. The boys, to their credit, won’t always do as they are wanted. There are many who are straight. For some

who are not the risk is too great in these days of vigilant stipendiary stewards. Possibly they know who have been backing their mounts. Sometimes they have got their own friends in and have, through such assistance, helped themselves to the market. To stop horses under such circumstances would be suicidal. Their advice at the last moment to owners is to back their horses —since someone else has got the cream the

owner is left with the skimmed milk. That sort of thing is taking place at all too many meetings. Owners do not get a fair deal unless they are alive to all points in the game. Those with good horses have to be especially careful or they can easily be left. A late scratching may sometimes have a steadying effect upon some of those who get in early and back horses as if they were their own. The every-day backer then suffers with the big forestaller. Pre-post betting is supposed not to exist under the laws of this country, but it does exist and ever will. Those who are expected to observe the law and set an example are often the offenders. Scratching horses at the eleventh hour is more than tantalising to their supporters. Allowing them to drop out at the first acceptance is considerate when owners make up their minds not to run. It is an unpardonable offence running a horse and getting

the rider to stop it. An owner is well within his rights in scratching a horse when it suits him to do so, or in leaving it in until half an hour before a race when he has not connived at keeping the horse in the market. To run a horse “dead” and let people lose their money invested on the horse on the course in good faith, in the belief that the horse is out to do its best, is quite another matter.