POPULAR Peter Hutchinson was celebrating an unexpected winner last night as the baleful eye of the racing press fell on chief stipendiary steward Bernard Hargreaves and his merry men.
Hutchinson received a surprise call-up from trainer John Moore to ride topweight Colours Hero in the fifth event when three-pound claimer Victor C. F. Chan reported sick.
The visiting Australian rider was also booked by Moore for the second of Chan's listed rides, Amigo, in the sixth event.
All very routine but it has been, let us say, more than accepted practice for an apprentice to be replaced by one of like ilk - and one claiming the same weight relief. It so happened that Raymond S. M. Tam was available and he does claim three pounds.
When the obvious question was presented to racing officials, the explanation, via interpreters and officials, was as follows: 'Trainer John Moore wanted Hutchinson to ride and asked for permission from the stewards on raceday morning.
'After consideration this permission was given.' The chief stipe took into account that Chan was much more experienced than Tam and was only two wins short of losing his claim entirely. He has 48 winners to Tam's 32 although this season to date David Hill's apprentice has had the greater workload on racedays.
Now we're not making a federal issue out of this, although others may well do so. Frankly, it was good to see Hutchinson get only the third winner of his three-month stint.