ELECTRIC SPURS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 127, 26 June 1909, Page 4

ELECTRIC SPURS.

BRUTAL TRICKS OF THE RACEHORSE FAKER. The disgraceful practice of drugging or "doping'' racehorses, as it is called in America, so as to ensure their winning a race, is almost extinct in this country, except at very small meetings of doubtful character (says an English paper). Isolated cases crop up now and again, and there is no doubt that even in quite big races' stimulants and devices of an illegal character have been used during recent seasons on even the biggest racecourses.

On the Continent and in America the objectionable practice is quite common.

One of the worst cases On record occurred a short time ago in Australia, when a. jockey who was killed in a race was picked up with an electric battery in connection iwitli his spurs, fastened on to his body, and the animal's trainer has been warned off for life. Such a brute ought by rights' to have been arrested for manslaughter.

FAVORITES IN THE CLASSICS TAMPERED WITH.

Favorites in even the big classic races in England have more than once failed to win a race owing to the fact that they have beforehand, in racing parlance, been "got at" —that is to say, drugged or poisoned. Mucgregor, the favorite in the Derby of 187u, was undoubtedly "got at," since it finished fourth behind the three worst iiorses that have ever been entered for the blue ribbon of the turf. In this race the bookmakers made a big coup out of the winner's' unexpected victory, and it was asserted that they were in the secret. The owner of Ilacgregor was never able to discover the real truth.

A similar trick was alleged to have been played upon Ornie, the property of Hie Duke of Westminster, in order to prevent that famous galloper from runeilig in the Derby of 1802. Only last year the trainer of a fancied candidate for the Derby received a letter to the cll'cct that £SOOO would be paid him if he undertook to interfere with his horse's preparation so that it could under no circuuiE'.a.: i 1..! seen at the starting-post. Naturally such a barefaced proposal was treated with utter contempt, but a few mornings afterwards, on one of the gallops on Newmarket Heath, where this horse tool; his daily exercise, a litter of broken glass was laid. Happily this was discovered by a stable-boy before exercise, otherwise the horse would have

I Cases hi' which horses have be.'ii "faked'' occur <.ven more frequently, whilst the "pulling" of horses, although equally illegal, is iiiifoituniilciy an even more common offence owing to the fact that it is very difficult to detect. Quite recently sonic "crooks" bought a horse and entered it in a race in Wolverhampton under another name. The animal was .painted and altered in several ways, and, as it received a handicap much lower than its abilities warlautcd, the horse won easily. Of course. j the scoundrels backed it heavily, and the bookmakers were defrauded of a large sum. I NEARLY LYNCHED FOR "PL'LLfNCi." I Hut "[lulling'' is the most prevalent evil of the Turf at the present day. It is frequently common knowledge that ; hoivcs who are well in races and have ■ obvious chances on form will not win, are not intended to do so by their I owners, and will not be allowed to do so by their jockeys. Occasionally there is cause to suppose that the owner is no better informed as to what will happen than anybody else outside the little coterie of trainer, jockey, professional backer of horses, and a friend or two who may be in the latter's confidence. "Pulling" is, of course, most prevalent in handicaps, the idea being to obtain a better weight in a bigger race later in the season. Three years ago the greatest sensation in racing circles for many years look place at Sundown, when a 'wellknown gentleman rider, who had matched his horse ill a sporting match with a well-known peer, was warned off for pulling his horse, and was nearly lynched by the crowd and bookmakers on the course.