ROMANCE AND MYSTERY

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 426, 7 August 1928, Page 10

ROMANCE AND MYSTERY

BLACK REPLACES RED Racecourse mysteries appear to be popular. A couple of Saturdays ago there were saddles stolen from Moorefield (Sydney) jockeys' room. In Melbourne recently somebody did the disappearing trick with a saddle supposed to contain an electric battery, and at Menangle there was the unexplained presence of a mysterious saddle-cloth. In the last race of the day apprentice It. Denham weighed out for Invicta, and handed his saddlecloth and saddle to trainer J. Hanslow. Later the officials discovered that the No. 9 which designated his mount was in black instead of the red, which is the colour of the numbers used at Menangle. Black, Not Red Naturally the secretary wanted to know where Denham got the black No. 99 he was using. The boy stated that he had picked the saddle cloth up on the floor of the room, and that he knew no more than Mr. Woodbury did about the matter. The cloth does not belong to Canterbury Club, where the races were held, but some club will possibly find that their No. 9 is missing. It will pay all clubs who use black numbers on their saddlecloths to look over their stock, otherwise when they next hold a meeting the No. 9 horses may be minus distinguishing numbers. No aspersions should be cast on the character of young Denham over the matter. How could he know that he would be riding a horse numbered 9 at Menangle, even if he did feel inclined to souvenir a relic from, one of the other clubs,