RACING CONTROL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 231, 13 July 1935, Page 2

RACING CONTROL

REPORT BY STEWARDS. FLAT AND HACK EVENTS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 12. At the Racing Conference to-day, Mr Ward (chief racecourse inspector) reported that The steadfast loyalty of his three colleagues to him, and their (strict attention to the carrying out of the polilcy of the Executive in every phase of their many responsibilities, enabled him to report that nothing had arisen to Interfere with the effective carrying out of their duties. Consequently lie had no special recommendations to make. He said that a number of prohibited persons, especially in the larger centres, continued to loiter around outside courses while meetings were being held and undesirables of the guesser-spieler type still followed racing circuits, but the certainty of detection should they venture inside and the consequent possibility of prosecution was a deterrent. The ample (provisions of the Regulations for the welief of persons excluded from racecourses was " well-known and fully availed of. Later in his report Mr Ward suggested that the supervision of persons licensed under the Rules of Racing had continued to assist in maintaining the standard of good conduct that now prevailed generally. He mentioned also that their work in keeping in close touch with owners and trainers in connection with apprentices was appreciated and welcomed. Their efforts in pursuing inquiries in connection with the rules of racing and trotting, governing corrupt practices, invariably had been effective and constant and careful attention in that regal'd was always maintained. Time-Limit on Betting. Mr Goiner (chairman of stipendiary stewards) reported that the management and control of meetings had been quite satisfactory. The most important suggestion lid wished to make, and he thought the most needed reform, was in regard to the length of time horses were kept out on a course before the start of a. race. The majority of clubs stipulated that horses must be in the birdcage 25 minutes prior to starting, which meant that if the races were run to time the horses were out 20 minutes. He considered that wrong. Horses should not be kept out that length of time, often in cold, rough weather. The public could do its betting just as easily in ten minutes as in twenty.- To bring reform about it would be necessary for all clubs to adopt a system that horses must be in the birdcage 15 minutes before the start. He thought it should be made compulsory for clubs to include in their programmes a hurdle race or steeplechase each day from April 1 to November 30. Crosscountry riders, especially in the South (Island, found it very difficult to earn a living and continued liigh-weight handicaps, such as they had there, meant that soon very few hurdle or steeplechase riders would be qualified to ride in them. He again brought forward his suggestion, made in his 1933-34 report, that the minimum weight in all flat races should be eight stone. At a number of meetings the starting barriers worked too slowly, and it was common to see horses taking it with them. This was a matter to which clubs should give attention with the object of procuring the best starting machine possible. He suggested that to save horses having sometimes to return to the birdcage starters should be supplied! with a pair of reins, stirrup leathers, girth, surcingle and a strip of greenhide. He also advocated the totalisator being closed to time, as a rule to be strictly adhered to. The value of racing to New Zealand was shown indirectly in a marked degree by the success of the yearling sales which were well attended, with good pnees, and Australian buyers well to the fore. A remit from the Executive* Committee was adopted, to reduce the qualification for hacks from winners of ,a race worth £250 or of races worth £SOO to £2OO and £4OO respectively. It was decided to define a hack race as a race in which any hors© is debarred from entry by reason of his winnings, even though the word hack is used in the title of the race. The Executive’s remit recommending reinstatement of the eight stone minimum in flat races other than the principal flat race in the programme each day of any meeting and extension of the date of operation, making it June 1 to August 31, was adopted. Mr A. N. Smith (Dunedin) moved, for consideration by the next Confer- • ence, that the minimum be seven stone seven pounds during the remaining months of the year. Approval was given to a Manawatu remit to allow stewards to provide a man on a quiet hack to stand in the first position on the rail, to assist the starter in lining up the horses. An Application Refused. The application of R. C. Powell, Dargaville, for the remission of the balance of his term of five years disqualification, was refused, as was a similar application by A. H. Matson, a jockey. The Otago Hunt Club and Greynioutli Jockey Club made application to include trotting events in their •programmes. In terms of a resolution submitted by tlie Executive Committee, it was decided that in view of the authority previously given to certain clubs to include trotting events m their programme, tlie practice be continued, except that after January 1, 1936, no hunt club is to include trotting events in its programme or at any! meeting held by such club at which the totalisator may be used. A remit from Ashburton that no person shall be permitted to register a jacket with tlie same design and combination of colours already registered by another person was lost. On the motion of the Canterbury Jockey Club it was decided that no horse shall be eligible to accept for or make the final payment for any race until it has had its name registered. A motion by the Amberley Racing

Club regarding the inclusion of steeplechases in programmes between May 1 and August 31 wgs withdrawn, as tlie matter is alreadyl provided for in tlie Rules of Racing. A motion by the Wanganui District Committee that horses be allowed to race in blinkers was lost on a division. The Manawatu Racing Club moved that the uniform hurdle be altered to have a lean of 12 inches instead of two inches, but this was negatived on the voices. Election of Officers. Officers for the ensuing session were re-elected as follows:—President, Mr J. S. McLeod; vice-president, Mr O. Nicholson; executive committee, Messrs L. W. Nelson (Auckland), I>. E. Wanklyn (Canterbury), A. C. Hanlon (Dunedin), T. E. Coates (Greymouth), G. D. Beatson (Hawke’s Bay), W. T. Hazlett (Southland), Hon. J. McLeod, M.L.C. (Taranaki), Messrs J. H. Perrett (Wanganui), and C. W. Tringham (Wellington).