ARE MARKS WRONG?

NZ Truth, Issue 1293, 18 September 1930, Page 13

ARE MARKS WRONG?

' Three Horses At Geraldine (From "N.Z. Truth's" South Island Trotting Rep!) THE owners of Royal Chenault, Gold Chips and Stowaway are certain to make some protest against the marks allotted their horses m the Geraldine Trot Handicap, and while it fwould appear that they have a good case, it will be interesting to see just what happens ,now that the official handicaps have been published. . "The Geraldine Trot Handicap is advertised as a 3 minutes 49 seconds (3.49) class, over 1& miles and 120 yds. According to the rules of trotting, Rule 273 says: "The handicapper shall frame his handicaps so that twelve yards shall equal one second, and six yards shall equal half a second. The shall not, for the purpose of framing his handicaps, alter the class v set out m the programme." t One hundred and twenty yards must then equal ten seconds, and t as the handicapper shall not alter the class, the Gteraldine Trot Han- • dicap must be equivalent to a 3.39 I class for V/z miles. Under the rule governing handicapping, the following are the extreme marks that the three horses mentioned can be handicapped to do: — Royal Chenault, 3.39; Gold Chips, 3.38; Stowaway, 3,38. Iln the Geraldine Trot Handicap, loyal Chenault is 12 behind and the ther two 24 behind, so therefore, conrary to the handicapping rule, : they ,re handicapped as follows: Royal Jhenault, 3.38; Gold Chips, 3.37; Stowway, 3.37. What will happen now?