THE TURF

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 260, 30 July 1919, Page 8

THE TURF

BIPLANE SCRATCHING CASE RECONSIDERED Bl r MANAWATU RACING CLUB. By Teieeraub.—l*re»« Amnciatlon. Palmorston North, July 29. At a meeting of the committee of the Manawatu Racing Club held to-night, the following resolution was passed in connection with the scratching of Biplane at the Autumn meeting on April 17, 1918:—"The committee of the Mnnawatu Racing Club, while strictly Adhering to the principles which in the interest of the sport of racing guided them to pass the resolution of April 17, 1918, considers that, seeing that some considerable time has elapsed, and having regard to R. J. Mason's letters of April 20,. 1918, such resolution should now bo rescinded." The following letter received from R. J. Mason on April 23, 1918, was handed to the Press ■-■ "H. R. Cooper, Esq., president of the Manawatu Racing Club, Palmerston North. "I beg to apply to the stewards of your olub for reconsideration of t'ho severe penalty inflicted upon me in connection with the scratching of Biplane 1 for the Awapuui Gold Cup. After due consideration, I freely admit that I committed a grave error of judgment in not scratching the colt some days before the meeting, instead of the evening before. The common practice when attending a meeting with horses, in case of scratching, is to do so on the course on the morning of the race, and I have nearly always adopted this method. I failed to realise tho seriousness of this delay in Biplane's case, and also the awkward position your club was placed in, but I cun assure you that it was only an error of judgment, and that I had no other thought than a desire to do my best in the interest of my employer, with the hope of winning one of the two races in which Biplane was engaged. Trusting that the stewards will reopen my case and.accept my assurance thnt I have not intentionally done any act discreditable to myself when I am nenring the close of a career which hns hitherto escaped any public censure." TOTALISATOR PERMIT GRANTED, By Tcleeranli—l'rwis Asjnolntlon. 1 Christchurch, July 29. The Mayor has received a telegram from the Minister of Internal' Affairs, stating that a totalisator permit has been granted for the trotting meeting to be held during the visit of Lord ,'ellicoe. A Press Association cablegram from Melbourne states that there are sixteen acceptors for the Australian Hurdles, including the New Zealand horses Glndful and Beltane.