CROWD GETS ANNOYED

NZ Truth, Issue 1192, 4 October 1928, Page 13

CROWD GETS ANNOYED

Because Gentlemen Riders Fail

XFrom "N.Z. Tilth's": Special Auckland Representative;) ""*"" : tt inatters.ndt to the racing pulplic how capable an official may be at: his business^ just let him make 6ne^^s)^, s, aai^ will be voiced m no uncertain .manner.

SO it carrie to Starter Charlie O'Connor at • Pakuranga on Saturday. The noise arose over the false start ih the. Ladies' Bracelet, when the majority of • the grentleinen jocks failed to hear the. call of the starter to "come back." •

They went on and traversed the full mile and -' a r quarter course at racing, pace. • ' It was an unsatisfactory, affair for all concerned, for the only pair which (were pulled up m the first hundred (yards 'of th^' false despatch. Wl Moy Hall and Mahgalti — filled ;..; ths/ dividend placeS-'ln -the actual raoe.'.- ; ';,... This : was • riot

surprising but it •was hard on supporters of Lassau and Ramblin' Kid, which were ridden right out ih the flrst bout to finish first and second. All manner of efforts to signal the amateur horsemen taking part m the flrst flutter that it was no start proved unavailing. They banged into their mounts over the last furlong, despite that serious attempts were made on the part .of barrier officials to stay their progress m the straight. > With ... professional horsemen things may have been different, . and there was fjrobably some excuse for the amateurs. They have not had the lengthy experience and' naturally concluded they

were doing right to go after the money once the barrier lifted.. ''••'','■ Tha£ was the whole <"■■ trouble— the barrier did lift m the first place, though it was not the intention of the starter that it ishould do so. His explanation was that it "slipped" oh him, after which explanation the stewards gave it out that the whole incident was purely accidental.

Though the first favorite eventually got the race, that did not save O'Connor from meeting jyith a hostile demonstration , as he ' : .walked back to the /birdcage: . , However, Charles niever gave an but■yyard sign, and though', punters were anything but preserved . m . their 'manner of ispeech' or m what they said, Charlie- stood the lot without getting the least bit flustered. He was cool and unperturbed when givingjli.s : /..version of the incident w^ich. icaiised .such discontent*. ; X*X . It is doubtful if ever such a hos- ■. '.tile, demonstration was previously ■'/ made round the birdcage at Eller- '■■ sHe. ' •■ ' ; '' ;Though the' Prince has "to admit thus late that the barrier has beaten him* it is hardly < likely to make any difference' to. his demeanor, and this fifom O'Connor, and they know it, but it is impossible at tinies for a crowd to stifle its 'feelings. •■ It was certainly hot while' it |lasted! ' - ... :