Sea Cob Case Will go to Conference

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 957, 28 April 1930, Page 12

Sea Cob Case Will go to Conference

Owairaka’s Owner to Lodge Appeal

Probably disgusted with the local turf authorities at taking that Whangarei race away from him and awarding it to Sea Cob, Owairaka finished last in his race at Avondale on Saturday. But the last has not yet been heard of this reversal of the judge’s placings, for it is understood that an appeal is pending. It will be remembered that at the Whangarei meeting early in the month, Owairaka defeated Sea Cob by half a head in the final race on the opening day. The stipendiary steward, Mr Angus Gordon, called the Judicial Committee together immediately after the race, and he alleged that he had seen K. Gill, the rider of the winner, Owairaka, hit Sea Cob across the head with his whip about half a furlong from the winning post. It took a long time for the Judicial Committee to come to a decision, over an hour in fact, and the placing:-: were not disturbed; neither was any action taken against the jockey who had allegedly offended. Not the Last Word Under the Rules of Racing in New Zealand, stipendiary stewards have no autocratic powers—their position is simply that of advisers to the local Judicial Committees. Even so, when a stipendiary steward reported to this body that he actually saw the incident which he had reported, it seemed on the surface that he should have received the full backing of the committee. That is how' it strikes the layman at any rate. Nevertheless, the committee, as srated above, took no action. It is not known just w r hat evidence was adduced in support of Mr. Gordon’s allegation, but presumably the rider most concerned denied that charge. That is .the only assumption that can be arrived at, seeing that nothing came of it. In this case the stipendiary steward did not have the last word: to put it bluntly, he failed to receive the support of the judiciary. Probably the weight of evidence was against him. Successful Appeal Mr. W. Montgomery, the owner of Sea Cob, lodged an appeal to the Auckland District Committee, and this body at its meeting last week decided in the appellant’s favour, and reversed the positions, leaving Sea Cob to receive the winner’s portion of the stake, and Owairaka being placed second. Without a doubt the District Committee was fully convinced that Mr. Gordon’s allegation was proven, hence its decision to reverse the judge’s placings. No mention was made of the position of Jockey K. Gill, who, in view of the reversal of the placings, must have been found guilty of havingstruck Sea Cob across the head with liis whip. No doubt the incident was found to have been accidental so far as the jockey was concerned, but, taking into consideration the fact that there was half a head between the two horses at the winning post—the others being well back —the check received by Sea Cob through beingstruck was deemed sufficient to make all the difference betw'een winning- and losing the race. To Go To Conference The owner of Owairaka, Mr. S. G. Lindsay, of Avondale, is going to appeal to the New Zealand Racing Conference against the District Committee's decision. According to the rules, this appeal must be lodged within one month, so that he has still another three weeks to consider the situation. Appeals to the Racing Conference are rather costly, for a desopit of £2O must accompany every such appeal. When the appeal reaches conference headquarters, the president, or in the present case, presumably the vicepresident, in view of Sir George Clifford’s death, shall appoint three judges to deal with such appeal. The powers of conference judges are wide. They can affirm or reverse the decision appealed against, and increase or diminish (in the case of individuals) any disqualification, fine or penalty. They also decide the fate of the £2O lodged by the appellant with his appeal. The unfortunate part about the whole affair is that Owairaka, upon winning at Whangarei, was promptly mulcted in a penalty for his Waikato engagement, and no doubt he also received more in his race at Avondale last Saturday than he would otherwise have done had the verdict gone against him before the Avondale handicaps were declared. On the other hand. Sea Cob has been treated, of course, as being second to Owairaka.