McCARTEN GOES OUT

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 39, 16 February 1933, Page 8

McCARTEN GOES OUT

A VERY COSTLY LAPSE

United Press 'Association—By Electrlo TeloBraph—Copyright.. SYDNEY, February-10. The disqualification of Veilmond after winning the Flying Handicap on Saturday at Rosehill through M. MeCarten's weighing in 71b short cost that rider two months' suspension and'the. owner, Mi-. B. Moss, v£ 1000 in betting. Opinions varied about the punishment oi J_lc_arten, the ' majority considering it to be a severe sentenced His appeal'to the A.J.C. Committee was dealt with promptly, the committee seeing no reason why the punishment should be lightened. Ihe incident caused a good deal: of confusion, for there was more delay' before the numbers were changed. Straight-out. backers of Loth Garry, who was placed first, to a degree suffered, for' many destroyed their win tickets. Totalisator backers of Promptitude, who was fourth and was placed third, were others similarly in trouble. Some bookmakers, too, lost over the business, but they were at fault, for tbe.weight.flag was not hoisted. :until several minutes after . the horses returned.: and- not until the numbers were altered. McCarten admitted full*'responsibility tor what the stipendiary stewards de; scribed in their. report as gross carelessness. When he weighed but for VeiU mond he; carried a 71b lead vest twisted round his whip. He said he always kept the two together, so that he would not forget the lead. He went back to the jockeys' room and separated them, at the same time unbuttoning .his jacket preparatory to taking it off in order to don the lead vest. Just at that moment he was called aside to discuss a, later, riding . engagement, and ■in- the middle of the'conversation- 'was interrupted by the clerk of -the', course calling the. riders to mount He hurriedly I buttoned,his< jacket again, " picked up his whip, and left, the lead , vest on the locker. ; As s.opn as the scale . showed the deficiency-he .realised, what, he had done. yeilmond,rWfls weighted at 9.12, and actually -won with 9.5.-flHe. staged a bulldog finish to score by 'a narrow margin; How he would have fared with the 71b extra is pure conjecture,. for although he is a proved master of weight, every pound over 9. stone tells;: : -.:,:■ There have been several cases:of short weight in : Australia,- but it: has been in the past due to the trainer's leaving the lead bag off the horse. In those cases a substantial fine has been considered suffiv cient.' With many important engage-' ™ents at the Melbourne meetings, MeCarten's suspension might easily be equal to a fine of £1000