 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1930
HORSES
1930 NEW ZEALAND DERBY
Race Was Marred by Accident
In spite of the fact that Rawhitiroa had worked a mile and a-half at better than 3.23 just prior to the Derby, it did not shake the confidence of the admirers of Arethusa, and although the filly had to come out wide to get a run as she came into the straight, she smothered all opposition with her brilliancy and had the race won nearly a furlong from home. Arethusa was indeed head and shoulders above all the other Derby candidates and had the race in safe keeping at any stage, although Rawhitiroa put up a game fight.
Chenaway was flrst out, but Bingen Junior soon ran to the lead, to be closely attended to the home bend by Chenaway, Rawhitiroa, and Arethusa. Here Bingen Junior got the stitch. Chenaway was soon settled by Rawhitiroa as that gelding, went to the front at the bottom of the straight, then Arethusa came with a run that left even Rawhitiroa standing. About five furlongs from home there was a bit of jostling that resulted in a smash. Royal Chenault fell, Flying Cloud went over the top of him, Checkers lost her driver, Colorado was badly interfered with, Location was pulled up, and Gold Chips just missed being m it by going out wide.
Free Holmes on Flying Cloud was the only driver to be severely shaken, and an inquiry into the smash resulted in the blame being credited to his son, Maurice, who drove the winner, and his license was suspended for six weeks.
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JUDICIAL COMMITTEE BLUNDERS
GOT SIX WEEKS FOR WRECKING DERBY
MAURICE HOLMES SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT FOR SIX MONTHS
AFTER THE RACE WAS TIME TO ACT
(From "N.Z. Truth's" South Island Trotting Eepresentativei) When the judicial committee of the Metropolitan Trotting Club saw fit to give Maurice Holmes six weeks for wrecking the Derby field the verdict could not have been more ridiculous had it decreed that Holmes was in future to be allowed a sawn-off shotgun to assist him in bringing down what he desired.
DRIVING the favorite, Arethusa, in the three-year-old classic, Holmes was responsible for the bringing down of three horses, and, though it was not intentional, the fact remains that the smash occurred. Holmes, as the culprit, should have been made to pay, but something saved him. Any other driver would have been outed before he was an hour older, but Holmes was not disturbed till that evening. It took the judioial committee six hours to finalise an inquiry that should not have lasted a sixth of that time. However, it was evening before the bright boys of the committee decided that Holmes was guilty, but apparently there was tacked on to the verdict a rider recommending mercy, for that is the only explanation to offer for the ridiculous sentence imposed.
Holmes was driving Arethusa, which filly is owned by H. F. Nlcoll, president of the Trotting Conference. He also had the drive on Wrackler, in the same ownership. The sentence made Holmes miss the concluding day, but he will be free to climb in the cart for the Christmas meetings, and will probably be at Alexandra Park to drive Wrackler and Arethusa in their Auckland engagements. If Holmes was guilty of the offence, and the committee found him guilty, he deserved a stiff punishment. Such ridiculously lenient sentences as this will not put down careless driving, but on the contrary are a direct incentive to carelessness and even deliberately foul driving. The judicial committee of the Metropolitan Club, in saying six weeks instead of making the penalty fit the crime, has made itself the laughing stock of the trotting world.
Credit: NZ Truth 20 Nov 1930