DOINGS AT THE PONIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 692, 18 June 1929, Page 12

DOINGS AT THE PONIES

PROTEST THAT WON SHREWD JUDGES STAGGERED Owner H. C. Smithson has got his “Irish” up. So incensed was he with the A.R.G. stewards at taking the Rosebery 14.1 Handicap away from his gelding Be Valera last week that he intends to get out of the game. He sold the son of Faugh-a-Ballagh— Alert immediately after the race had been run, records the Sydney “Sportsman.” In an interview with “Sportsman,” Smithson, very hot under the collar, alleged that he was “robbed” of the prize-money and bets at Kensington. “Pony racing will probably be able to stagger along without my patronage,” ho added, “but I shall be able to get along without pony racing.” And Smithson has no copyright on the “peeved” stuff. Registered jockey Billy Cook, who rode Be Valera, is also breathing fire. Jockey’s £I,OOO Challenge Like Smithson, Cook is of opinion that the second horse, Gold Pillar, should not have been awarded the race, and, after a heated argument witn George Browne, who rode Gold Pillar, Billy challenged George to a £I,OOO match at the weights the ponies carried last week. Anyhow, now for the race. Little surprise was expressed when the green flag was hoisted, but few' keen racing men expected the objection to be upheld. The 14.1 was a particularly rough affair; four horses, Be Valera, Gold Pillar, Millimetre and Leslie were in a mix-up at the top of the straight and fifty yards from the post. The ex-New Zealander, Millimetre, acted as pacemaker to Leslie, Gold Pillar and Be Valera, and it was the order when they turned for home. But taking the bend, Millimetre, as is her wont, ran wide, and automatically carried Gold Pillar and De Valera with her. From the time De Valera commenced to make his run there was never a horse on the outside of him, and as the quartet headed for home it is alleged that De Valera came over too quickly and interfered with Gold Pillar. Then, just as the post was being reached, De Valera, who had the race well in his keeping, bore over again on Gold Pillar and Millimetre. At the time, however, it made no difference to the result The usual prowd of "urgers,” who take a line on everything .hrough the “long-sight” of their pockets, cried “Protest! ” ITp went the green flag, hut De Valera’s backers w r ere not worrying. Race Taken Away In fact, the objection looked as if it was born with the death-mark on its little brow, and the bookie blokes thought so much of their chance that thev offered 5 to 1 about Gold Pillar, while De Valera was 8 to 1 “on.” After twenty minutes’ deliberation the stipes decided to take the race away from De Valera. At the inquiry almost every jockey who rode in the race was called upon to give evidence, and they were unanimous that Cook was responsible for the interference. Cook was the only “registered” jockey who had a mount in the race. After the hoops filed out of the “Lethal Chamber” Browne and Cook engaged in wordy warfare, and it was then that Billy threw out his £I,OOO challenge to George. Gold Pillar and De Valera have now met on two occasions, nnd the exMelbourne. pony is "two-up” on the local horse.