As Others Saw the Ellerslie “Riot”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 489, 19 October 1928, Page 10

As Others Saw the Ellerslie “Riot”

GARBLED VERSIONS Garbled accounts of the recent disturbance at Ellerslie were cabled to Australian papers, but an unpleasant feature is the criticism le\'elled at the officials of the Auckland Racing Club.Who was responsible for this criticism being sent abroad to one journal quoted . below? One other paper’s representative ! interviewed Xcav Zealand sportsmen in Sydney, and here again was vouchsafed criticism of the club officials. However, read what these papers have to say about the demonstration (it was not a riot!): Introducing the Australian “Labour Daily”: On Ellerslie racecourse yesterday was Avit.nessed a scene unparalleled in the history of the New Zealand turf, when the great crowd’s pent-up feelings against the Auckland Racing Club’s general mismanagement found i an outlet by taking complete possession * of affairs. ! The police superintendent, who endeavoured to pacify the crowd, received a bad gruelling, Avhile the stewards’ car was mobbed and wrecked. (Note.—One tyre only was punctured!) Numerous accidents occurred through people being caught in the crowd’s onrushes. The situation became so extremely threatening that the septuagenarian stewards who are trying to run a racecourse on pre-liistoric lines resolved to postpone the three remaining events till Monday, making no charge for admission then and the second day’s racing will be held on Tuesday. Club’s Decline This disgraceful demonstration has created a very bad impression in Auckland and was the sole topic of ; conversation at the week-end. The Auckland Racing Club, once the ; pride of the “Queen City of the South” —as Rudyard Kipling called her on . his visit—has been on the down-grade : for many years. [ It is run by men who came out of ■ tho Ark, and the paid officials, too, are ; for the most part over the pension age. In ten years the club’s prize money has dropped by over £12,000, . while the totalisator management leaves much to bo desired from the public point of view. And all this in a province where . stood the mighty Musket, sire of - Carbine, Nordenfeldt, Torpedo and their descendants—Crackshot, Tirail- : leur and other big performers, t People say they could well imagine r such a lamentable occurrence taking place in Sydney, but" in Auckland! > Everybody is amazed. The Sydney “Guardian”: i Saturday’s ugly incident in Auckland, > when the crowd took charge of the > course, was laid at the feet of the bad j start in the Mitchelson Cup. i But that was only the culminating • point of a state of dissatisfaction that t has spread throughout New Zealand, s and the Auckland Province in t particular, with the methods of racing l control. The actual race fiasco was : made the opportunity by the crowd to E show that unless there be revolutionary i alteration in the management, the t racing game will die. That is the considered opinion of t some New Zealand racing men in J Sydney at present. They claim as the ) foundation of such ideas, happenings 1 extending over many years. There are sections of the public, they say, who are rapidly being convinced they are merely the dupes who pay to

keep things going. Lax control and alleged unfairness in the matter of dealing with different sections of men in the game have from time to time brought forth protests from the public and the Press. Ramps Alleged At one time a Government inquiry into the methods of conducting racing was promised, but it fell through. Even such a threat apparently did not awaken the officials from their lethargy, and matters are said to be little better to-day than they Avere a year or two bdfek. There have been allegations of race rigging that have warranted immediate inquiry, but which have received no attention. The use of batteries, not furtively, but on a huge scale, and in almost an open manner, is another direct accusation against New Zealand racing. New Zealand employs a system of amateur steAA'ards, and that system has met with solid opposition in the last feAV years. Those stewards are occasionally owners themselves, and against them are charges of utmost leniency to the bigger men and brutal crushing of the smaller men. May Have Effect It was against such gross mismanagement and unfairness that the Auckland crowd is said to have protested so angrily. The committee of the Auckland Racing Club has struck remarkable antagonism from the public for years. The average age of its executive is 74, and the public reckons they have long passed their usefulness in. the control of racing. Saturday’s incident may have its effect. At least it has directed the eyes of the AA'orld towards the control of Auckland racing, and that can do no harm. Another partial to the conditions likely to prevail at Te Rapa to-morrow is Flying Juliet, who showed good form at Ellerslie recently, winning once and being close up on two other occasions. Then there is Oration, who was caught at his best last Saturday week, and the price was a royal one. He Avon this event last year. * * * If Macroom is right it may be a ease of shut the gate in the sprint to-mor-row. She hails from the Paganelli stable, and is a good one when thoroughly tuned up. Tinokoa is another likely to be able to do things under the ruling conditions. Abbey Queen nearly pulled off a coup at Avondale last month, finishing a close third, at any old price, too. to Storm Fiend and Maori Boy when they dead-heated. She started from the extreme outside, too, and had sufficient pace to go over to the rails before they had gone far. She is in the Hautapu Hack to-morrow, and the opposition is moderate.