SOME OAMARUBACKERS RECEIVE “KNOCK-OUT"

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 52, 24 May 1927, Page 6

SOME OAMARUBACKERS RECEIVE “KNOCK-OUT"

NO RUN FOR THEIR UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT Though the totalisator show,* increase in turnover at the n trotting meeting on Saturday provided some excellent sp or , the odds against the majority . prices favouring the minority ? tion of the public who help./, **' the machine returns in onT to *’«! not even get a fair go- in.J?® 8 Sij got no go at all. 1 fa *t, th,,'. IN COLD BLOOD Followers of the popular ness pastime do not mind h,rcash on their fancies, proving s^'Set £ run . for their money 5 number of speculators lost 1 vestments in what they h--cold blood.” Two hundred S sovereigns went west when p? ?**b and Quality were recalled in B ?? kh ' :,I > yance Handicap, as the result irregularity on the part of the when nominating the pacerswas very unsatisfactory to biS* of the pair to find their iowed up on the machine. L** ll ' earthly chance of getting ® 111 It was another case of the'snI tatT tive followers of the sport or T 1 *' tmn of them at all events! getw'’ fair and square “where the JSSi ‘ : got the axe " and according t 0 conditions the unfortunate backed no redress. It is quite evident this point requires consideration ~ n hands of the New Zealand' Association, and will no doubt fX a subject for debate at the forthcS? ing conference. co ®- POOR CONSOLATION The fact that the owner, who guilty of such negligence 2 s caused supporters of his hore., , drop their good silver, without I°. semblance of a chance for any on the outlay, was punished by infliction of a £ 5 fine was poor solation indeed for the losers there is no doubt they would be i’nsS* nant when they could neither run for their money nor their invL ments returned. UNFORTUNATE OCCURRENCE There would probably have been > bigger outcry had either of the hors,, started and won before the irregularire was discovered; but it would ha-, made it much more pleasant for an concerned had the error been noticed at the proper time—before the horses were harnessed up. It was a mor unfortunate occurrence, but probably the Oamaru Club will see its way cleato reimburse the lamenting lackers for their investments. GOVERNMENT GETS SHARE The Government, which also reaps a good deal of benefit from nonev invested on the machine it legalised for gambling purposes, will surely not countenance such an action, and the matter should be cleared up to the satisfaction of the backers and the credit of the club. There does noappear to be any rule of trotting to cover such incidents, but the Government should have these wrongs righted. The fact that the machine ires closed when it was discovered that Bankhead and Quality were not eligible to start precludes the investors, according to the rules of the totalisetor (part 37, rule 396) from receiving a refund Rule 395 makes provision for refunds, less the usual commission, if horses do not start after being weighed out, or are scratched by fe stewards, while the machine is operating, and it is difficult to understand why the distinction is made after U.e tote closes WHY NOT BRACKETED? From the scant information to hand at the time of writing, it is evident Mr. J. O’Grady, owner of Quality, also had an interest in Bankhead, and if the registration papers were in order, then the stewards, under rule 388, had the right to have the j>air bracketed on the machine, and thus an unpleasant and (to some people) unprofitable episode would have been avoided. LENIENTLY TREATED If, on the other hand, the registration of O’Grady’s interest in Bankhead was not in order, he must be accounted fortunate in escaping with a “fiver fine, the rules allowing for a maximum penalty of 20 sovereigns. But whether the imposition was lenient or otherwise does not help the positiou of the unfortunate backers, who good faith backed the horses, wbicn never started, and consequently tnre< their money away. As a result tthe incident, the machine return were augmented, the Government ceived a dividend, the club profited the extent of a fiver through owner’s error, but the sporting P lie who invested their money on pair received a “knock-out.