JOCKEYS DEATH

Hokitika Guardian, 27 February 1932, Page 5

JOCKEYS DEATH

EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. CORONER ADDS RIDER. f ßij Telegraph — I'er Tress Associationj AUCKLAND, February 27. The- inquest into the death of F. F;. Stock ley, the apprentice jockey who died on the way to the hospital after being injured when his horse, Exaggeration fell, was continued before Mr Gotten, S.M., yesterday. Hector Gray, the rider .of Nen Lap, said that just before the accident, there was a bit of crowding. He pulled out, and went straight on. Beacon Fire and Exaggeration were racing neck-ami neck, and witness came up on the outside. He did not crowd in

this race. He never heard Stcckley call out. He had no money on the race. He got on quite well with Stocklev. j Cross-examined by Air Allan AloocTy (for Stockley’s relatives), Gray said J that he did not have a bet on the Fer- | guson Handicap. When he bet at all, Inis wife, put the money on the totalisator for him. Asked where else he betted Gray replied “Nowhere.” Air Moody: What about the bookmakers ? Gray: In rtiy opinion, Ho such persons exist I lu tiie course of his evidence, L. G. Morris said that Stockley was always a rider who took undue rusks, and witness had warned him on several occasions. A steward of the Auckland Racing Club, Leonard Charles Rathbone, said there was nothing to justify anyone taking exception to the running of the field at the time of the accident. In witness’s opinion Exaggeration slipped and fell. During the race there had been a little too much “cutting, ’ and had deceased not been killed he might have been “on • the carpet” for “cutting” across the field too early. "Witness thought no one was to blame for the deceased’s death.

A taxi driver, Gordon Hassell, said that from what he saw of the accident Exaggeration was not tripped by Nea Lap. The accident was Exaggeration’s own fault'. Frederick Smith, trainer of Exaggeration, said it looked to him as if Nea Lap cut across the deceased’s across, and passed right under its neck.

The Conorer returned a verdict that deceased died from cerebral injuries received when he was thrown from his horse. It appeared from the evidence that “crowding” was the cause of the horse’s fall, and also that crowding was not an infrequent occurrence. If crowding was usual during races, no blame could be attached to any of the jockeys. Mr Gotten added a rider in which lie suggested that racing authorities should have stricter rules to deal with “crowding” and that tiiesc rules should be rigidly enforced.