S. DARRAGH'S APPEAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 18 August 1909, Page 57

S. DARRAGH'S APPEAL

CHRISTCHURCH, August 1». The judges of tha Ncw*Zealand Racing Conference (Sir George Clifford, Messrs T. W. Stringer, and John A. Cook) have given tlie following decision in the appeal by Mj S. Darragh against the decision of the Auckland Metropolitan Committee disqualifying him for l\§e in connection with the running of the horsa Tauriki a f the Takapuna Jockey .Club's meeting in 1908, which decision varied a decision of the Takapuna Jockey Club disqualifying Darragh during ■fee pleasure of the club: —

"Although all the circumstances con* nected with the running of the mare Taurikf are exceedingly suspicious and the cviHence most contradictory and unsatisfactory, the judges- are not absolutely satisfied that a case of "ringing in" has been established, and therefore leave this question open for further investigation by the Auckland Metropolitan Committee or the Takapuna Jockey Club if fre^h evidence 6hould be forthcoming. Assuming, however, that the mare which ran at Avondale, Takapuna, and Ellerslie under the name of Tauriki was the chestnut mare, by St. Crispin from a Freedom mare, all aged to have been bred: by S. Darragh, we are satisfied that though entered and raced in the name of J. Grant she never ceased to be the property of Darragh, and that she was raced throughout in this interest and in violation of the Rules of Racing. We are also. of opinion that both J» Grant ai:<l S. Darragh have wilfully supplied false information during the' whole courss of the inquiry. We tnerefore find that J. Grant and S. Darragh haye been guilty of fraudulent practices on the turf, and we hereby disqualify the said S. Darragh and the mare Tauriki for a term of five years from the 14th of May, 1909. As J. Grant has not appealed against the disqualification imposed upon birr by the Metropolitan Committee, we direct the suid committee to vary the disqualification of J. Grant co as to make it accord with that imposed hereby on S. Darragh. , We confirm the decision of the Takapuna Jockey Club and the xMstropolitan Committee jn regard to the payment of the- stakes in the races won by Tauriki. We order the deposit ir this cafes to be , returned."