Eacing Cases. 79 



20. Disputed False Start at Newmarket. 



For a race in the Houghton Meeting at New- 

 market, 1829, a filly turned round at starting, and 

 was left behind. The start being disputed, the 

 race was run over again, subject to an examination 

 by the stewards into the circumstances of the first 

 start. When this inquiry took place, it was satis- 

 factorily proved that the starter gave the word 

 " Off," and did not call to the riders to come back ; 

 it was therefore determined that the first race was 

 decisive. Suffolk Punch won the first race, Aranda 

 won the second. 



Kemark : The starter should have been ex- 

 amined instanter ; for the very circumstances of 

 allowing the horses to run again substantiated the 

 invalidity of the first start, and a part of the evi- 

 dence was not published viz. the starter being 

 asked why he did not call the horses back, said he 

 was not in the habit of calling them back, because 

 when one was left behind the others came back of 

 their own occord. 



This adjudged case was, at a general meeting of 

 the Jockey Club in 1838, ordered to be omitted in 

 the publication of the * Eacing Calendar,' 1839 ; 

 and all disputes respecting a false start have been 

 ever since decided solely on the evidence of the 

 starter. 



