A COUNTRY MEETING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 708, 6 July 1929, Page 12

A COUNTRY MEETING

STAGED BY LIGHT HORSE FIRST THREE DISQUALIFIED Country race meetings have been productive of sensational and humorous happenings. But possibly the limit was reached in a small Queensland township recently, when all the runners in a race were disqualified. Connections of each horse shelved the other, states a Sydney paper. King’s Birthday, as in other centres, was observed as a close holiday in a small township on the Barling Downs, and to mark the event the Light Horse Regiment of a nearby town conducted a sports programme, which included horse racing for unregistered performers, and a handicap event confined to horses owned and ridden by members of the Light Horse. A race meeting is regarded as quite I an important event in the history of this village; consequently all means or conveyance from the bullock wagon to the motor-car were employed in bringing the wise ones to garner riches from the bookmakers. Usually the programme is interspersed with arguments, and at times open all-in fights result, but on the day in question everything was working smoothly, much to the content of the officials. But oldsters, well versed in the nature of the country folk, felt that this state of affairs was much in the nature of a calm before the storm. The Fun Begins The prediction proved correct. The principal event, the Light Horse race, attracted only three starters. Brown Legs, entered by people generally regarded as having good horses, was the early favourite, opening at evens and then shortening a little. No money was forthcoming for the other two until just before the race, when Martini Henry, who had been ridden in the scrub in the middle of the course, out of the way of the peering eyes of punters, met with solid support. The result was that Martini Henry deposed Brown Legs from favouritism, starting at odds on, while Brown Legs drifted to even money. Hardly a bet was written about the only other starter, Besert Gold. The race was without incident, the horses eventually finishing in order of preference, Martini Henry beating Brown Legs by about four lengths, with the other horse a “street” away. Those in the know who had backed Martini Henry were feeling on the best of terms with themselves, and as the horses were returning to the enclosure edged their way nearer the bookmakers to collect their winnings. They did not collect. All Out As soon as the jockeys dismounted the rider of the second horse entered a protest against the winner, alleging that the horse was identical with a well-known unregistered performer of the district, and therefore had been rung-in. Exhaustive inquiries were quickly made by the stewards, and as the allegation was proved correct, the race was awarded to the second horse, Brown Legs. Hardly had the stewards announced their decision than the rider of the third horse lodged a protest against Brown Legs, on the same grounds as the other protest. This having been upheld, the race was then awarded to Besert Gold. It was the bookmakers' turn to feel content, for they had written hardly a penny against him, but their joy was shortlived, for the connections of the other two horses immediately launched another protest, stating that as the rider of Besert Gold was a Chinaman he could not be a member of the Light Horse, and therefore was ineligible to 1 ride in the race. 1 On this protest being upheld, the J stewards declared it “no race” and all r bets had to be refunded. i One By Surveyor Revision, the winner of the Kovice l Plate at Ashburton, is a two-year-old ; filly by Surveyor from Consultation : (Elevation —Consolation). The winner scored her first success. She was not in the picture until well down the straight, and to fight out a solid finish under the circumstances stamped her 5 as a useful two-year-old, likely to do * better later. She was secured a few ; months back by the Orari trainer, R. C. Keeper, from the Blenheim owner, ’ Mr. J. J. Corry. Airplane ran his best * race to date, and onl# succumbed in ' the last stride. Morian was the slowest to move off, and was still in last * place approaching the straight. He showed a lot of pace over the closing ' stages, and would have been in the money with better treatment early.