RAZOR GANG IS HERE!

NZ Truth, Issue 1179, 5 July 1928, Page 11

RAZOR GANG IS HERE!

Deliberate Attempt To Mutilate Rangi Sarto When Rangi Sarto was unable to start on the last day of the Hawkes Bay meeting, it was given out that he had met with an injury.

QTEEPLECHASERS and hurdlers are ever m danger of injury during the winter and thus little notice was taken of his withdrawal. But subsequent inquiry showed that it was more than a knock which brought about the injury. It was a palpable case of some fiend having a go at him with either a- sharp knife or a raizor. The first day of the Hastings fixture Rangi Sarto won the Hack Steeplechase. T , That evening he was rugged up and placed m a. small paddock for the night. To ensure against his escape from

the ' enclosure, 'the gate was wired up and he was . left — -happy and con-; tented. His owner *• retired to his quarters, but* hours later there was a surprise m store for him. There came looking for him a well - known exr trainer with the information that Rangi Sarto had been found wandering across the railway line m the main street of Hastings. Owner Fred Wal-

ler hastened down th Q street and found his gelding being led back by a Woodville trainer,'- who. had recognized the horse as soon as he saw him. Waller took hold of Rangi's mane and led him back to his paddock, thanking his lucky stars that no damage had been done— -for what a good thing. the gelding looked the next day! But thei surprise was to come — blood was noticed running down one of the horse's front legs and investigation proved the source of the flow to be a cut some inches m length. Clean as a whistle it was— and it was very evident that it had not been selfrinflicted, Of that Waller was dead certain —

he reckons that had the horse injured himself m getting' out of the paddock he would have been going yet. A little sleuthing followed, the wire round the gate was found to be cut and m the paddock leading out on to the road were bloodstains. Veterinary assistance, when called m, was very emphatic that the wound had. been caused by either a sharp knife or a razor. And the opinion of the two vets, who offered this explanation is to be respected. ' ' . Coming when it did, the only logical conclusion to arrive at is that Rangi Sarto was deliberately wounded by

some person or persons, who did not desire his presence m the field pn the ' Satr urday."; Looking over the five runners m Saturday's race, . "N.Z. Truth" at once saw that it was useless, to seek there for a clve — owners and trainers who had horses m the race are above suspicion. * The culprit must be looked for elser where, but m just what direction no one connected with

the injured horse can nominate. In recent years "nobbling" of horses has been an unheard-of thing m New Zealand, but after this Hastings incident owners and trainers will be on the g.ui-vive. Some thirty years back there was an epidemic of such happenings, but on that occasion the attentions were paid to show stock. ' Whether the stock be for show, for racing or for plain workaday purposes', the fiend who uses a knife either to maim or temporarily disable them has only one destination. And, m being escorted there he will be accommodated with anything but a de-luxe sleeping berth. ■