JOCKEYS DEFENDED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21176, 27 July 1940, Page 5

JOCKEYS DEFENDED

CONFERENCE OFFICIAL'S WORDS (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) AUCKLAND, Friday Strong exception was taken by Mr N. Simpson, secretary of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association, to the report from New Plymouth and attributed to the Hon. J. McLeod, M.L.C., in which he referred to “particularly clever riding by prominent jockeys,” and stated that these riders would find their wings very considerably clipped in future. Mr Simpson said the attack was unjustified and ill-considered coming from an executive official of the Racing Conference. Although Mr McLeod stated he was not prepared to say outright that there was a “ramp” going on, he proceeded to cast suspicion on every prominent rider in the sport, said Mr Simpson. His expression of opinion was in direct conflict with the published reports of the stipendiary stewards and racecourse in-

| spectors, who during the last couple j of years had stated that the conduct and standard of racing in New Zeai land were on a higher plane than ! ever before. i It appeared that a number of j prominent riders were, to use Mr ; McLeod’s words, “to have their wings j clipped very considerably.” In other | words they were to be dealt with I on suspicion and without trial.