RACING DURING THE WAR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 228, 9 July 1941, Page 2

RACING DURING THE WAR

DEFENCE OF CONTINUANCE.

TROTTING PRESIDENT’S VIEW. REVIEW OF THE LAST YEAR. The annual conference of representatives of New Zealand Trotting Clubs was opened at Wellington this morning. The President (Mr 11. F. Nicoll) who presided, delivered the following address: — Since I last addressed you the war has been brought very close to our people in the Dominion, through the recent fighting in Greece and Crete. The daily lists of killed, wounded, and missing are bringing tragedy and suspense into many households,, for there are few of us who have not sons, brothers, or near reatives who have neen in action during those heroic days,'and who by their endurance, discipline, and unrivalled courage, have added a glorious page to New Zealand history. Most of us here spent many anxious days awaiting the news from Greece and Crete, and this conference will desire to express our deepest sympathy with those who have suffered bereavement through the war. Lawrence Binyon’s lines, written for the fallen twenty-five years ago, are movingly (appropriate to their illustrious sons to-day.

In these anxious days, when our thoughts are so greatly concentrated on the war, it is difficult to set one's mind to everyday affairs, but although we cannot meet to-day imbued with the same keen interest in the world of sport, yet it concerns ns to give it adequate attention. This war has frequently been called a tost of nerves, and the preservation of balance is stressed by a brilliant writer, expert on tactics and strategy, Liddel Hart, who sums up bis comment in these words— ___ ‘lt may well be that the Nation which coines nearest- to maintaining normality, is likely to stay the course best.”

Tribute To Deceased Members. Every year brings ns the sad duty of marking the departure of some amongst us. We now have to record the loss of our friend Mr G. L. Berry, recently president of the New Brighton Trotting Club. Mr Berry was an able administrator and a popular figure, wherever he was known, and wo miss his genial presence. Wo also mark with regret the passing of a line citizen and sportsman, Mr George Gould whose upright character and tearless opinions were of much value in the many causes in which he was interested. A further loss sustained by our sport was tlvc death of Mr R. T. Reid, president of the Waikato Trotting Club. He was for some time delegate to this e.onfereneo and later a member of the N.Z. Trotting Association. His business ability and forceful personality made him a valuable member of our conference. The majority of our Clubs have had a successful season, and it has been pleasing to note the sums donated by them to war funds. It would lie invidious to name particular clubs, but the amount totals tens of thousands of pounds, and those clubs who are in a position to do so are giving the whole of their annual profits to patriotic funds. Besides these donations a large sum has been contributed to the war loan. These are all voluntary gilts and have been given with single minded patriotic thought, without any ostentation or advertisement. In addition to these valuable gifts the sum of nearly a quarter of a million pounds was contributed by our clubs to the national exchequer during the past 12 months through the totalisator tax, besides income tax, amusement tax, and compulsory loan. Many of the racecourses and buildings have been placed at the disposal of the military authorities and are occupied and being used for military training, free of charge ,thus saving a big outlay by the Government and giving the soldiers conveniences and comforts it would otherwise have been impossible to provide. The military authorities have advised me that they have received nothing but assistance and encouragement in all their dealings with our officials in connection with the utilisation of our properties occupied, and there has not been a dispute or a controversy concerning tho many affairs that have had to be arranged and considered in relation to such occupation.

Improvements. There have been few major improvements to courses recently." With so many calls upon their funds, clubs have been content to carry out maintenance work only, and to leave the matter of additional buildings until after the war. Remount Encouragement Fund. The subsidising of stallions for the production .of remounts continues, and it is to be noted that a considerable call was made last .January upon breeders ol trotters to supply remounts for the Dominion, and although, as 1 stated in 1939, no subsidy was paid to any trotting breeder, , yet we were called to supply a number of horses for military purposes. The regiment of cavalry * saw trotting along the road from Burnham one day was a spectacle to plen»* the eye. Appeals. . During the year two appeals were lodged against the decision of the Now Zealand Trotting Association. One was an appeal by a club against the decision of the 'Association in awarding to an owner the stake of a race, when there was a dispute as to whether the starter had declared it a start or otherwise. The facts were interesting, and may be mentioned because they bring forward other considerations., in the race in question the front barrier was released, but the tapes for the three back-mar leers were not. Seven of the horsemen on the limit made declarations that tho starter called out to them; “Go on." The race was contested by only seven of tho field*., and alter the numbers of the placed horses had been hoisted by the judge the starter returned to the birdcage and advised the stewards that it was no start; so the horsemen were ordered to re-run the rare. The winner of the first contest, and some others, started again under protest, and a uirferent lot of horses were placed the second time. The winner of the first race protested to the club, who dismissed the protest upon the grounds “that the objection not having been lodgea within the regulation time fixed under Rule 405 could not he entertained, there - being no special circumstances which, <

in the opinion of the Committee, prevented the objection from being lodgeu within the specified time.” The owner then appealed to the Association, who upheld his appeal The- Club appealed against the Association’s decision to the conference, and the Appeal Judges, found that “the decision of the New Zealand Trotting Association was correct, and the appeal is therefore dismissed. The Judges further order that the deposit of £2O bo refunded to the Gore Racing Club.” The trouble appears to have arisen from tho indecision of the starter, and tins brings up the question I have suggested before at this conference, viz. whether the tune had not arrived when both starters and judges should he appointed by the conference, in the same manner as are the handicappers. The result of the appeal leaves the Club in the unfortunate position of possibly having to pay out the stakes twice over. The appeal judges unofficially commented upon the Rules, . stating that they had some difficulty in arriving at a decision owing to certain ambiguities. This is to be regretted in view of the recent overhaul to which the Rules have been subjected. There is an element of horse sense in the comments of a sporting writer made a few years ago in the American “Horse Review.” He wrote: “No. racing system that human wit and wisdom ever has devised, or ever can—racing being the tiling which it is—-will not work hardship, hero and there, upon some man or horse. There are exceptions to all rules, and the most carefully considered laws for promoting the ‘greatest good of the greatest number’, eternally have left, and everlastingly will leave, some people out in the cold . . . Rules which attempt to regulate things to fit exceptions, instead of tho other way about are futile or worse.” He continues: “Instead of more rules and new racing systems, the present scribe’s idea is that somebody- ought to pick up tho axe and lop away about seventy-five pei- cent of those now existing. Then rewrite those left in such fashion that the ordinary mind could construe—or at least fairly well apprehend their inn port. At the end of the book it would not be a bad thing to append the follow statement: ‘Anybody who tinkers with those rules will bo, for the first offence, fined 1,000 dollars. For the second one, he will bo expelled for life.’ ”

Rule Oni Starters’ Decisions’. You will have noted that there is a proposed new Rule on the Order Paper to make the starter’s decision, as to race or no race, final. This would be reverting to our old Rule. _ Another appeal was against a fine imposed upon a horseman for interference, and I would like to quote the appeal judges as fallows: “The Appeal Judges were impressed by the statement submitted by the New Zealand Trotting Association as to the prevalence of interference in races throughout New Zealand, and of the necessity in the interests of clean racing that this class of offence should not he treated lightly. Nevertheless, the Judges wish it to be understood that Clifton's case was not one of wilful interference but, in all the circumstances, the penalty imposed was justified.” Interference arises in all racing, and as it endangers competitors it should always 1h( dealt with by a strong hand. The New Zealand Trotting Association recently circularised all Clubs upon this subject, and I desire to ask you delegates here to-day to impress upon youi stewards the necessity, where a case of interference is proved, to deal out a suitable penalty, and not merely inflict a fine or an alteration in the plaeings, whereby the owner is punished instead A f the actual offender. The system of de-grading a horseman should invariably be inflicted as a minimum penalty for’intentional or careless interference. If this was vigorously enforced the trouble would disappear, or be considerably abated.

Records. The saddle mile record of 2.6 was reduced by Smile Again at Addington to 2.4; and the one and a-lialf mile record was reduced to 3.10 ; 3-5 by Zincali at Ashburton. The horse which created most interest this season was the three-year-okl trotter Certissimus, which won seven races out of eleven starts and went 3.18 for one and a-lmlt miles. The classic races were well distributed between the; Special Force and Walter Moore being the outstanding performers. Walter Moore established a new three-year-old record in winning the All Age -Stakes of cue and a-quarter miles at Addington in 2.41. Breeding and Stud Book. Owing to- import restrictions there has been little movement of horses between here and Australia, and no horses have been imported from America lately. Fortunately, breeders are we) stocked with high-class stallions, and the industry continues to show a steady improvement in quality. Tho 12 two-year-olds who paraded for the New Zealand Sapling Stakes in May provided a field which commanded much admiration from spectators. This is an essential to the sport, ami is of value in many directions. It is, however, a costly production, and after the sale of the books leaves about £2OO to he found. This has been paid in the past out of the funds of tho Association. The book has been issued heretofore about once in every three years, and although clubs, breeders, and sporting writers are asking when they can expect the next volume, it is not proposed to provide a new issue this year. The Stud Book provides a great deal of interesting information, but more is required if the history of the sport is to be preserved. Time has taken, and is still taking, toll or the pioneers, who must have many stories to tell of the early days of trotting in New Zealand; and ] would much appreciate their effort to preserve the records of the past if they would address some of their memoirs to the .Secretary of the Conference, so as to enable us to publish the annals at some future date.

Officials. It is always a pleasure to mention our satisfaction in connection with the work of the Stipendiary Stewards and the Racecourse Inspectors. Their manifold activities call for a groat amount of work, knowledge, and discretion. and it speaks volumes for the manner in which, they carry out theii duties that we find the popularity of trotting with the public ever on the increase, whilst the stewards of the clubs find the assistance of those officials in the conduct of meetings to be of material assistance to them. The work of the office staff has been ofii eiont, and we have an ever-alert and valuable officer in our Secretary, Mr Larcombe. Totalisator Investments. We hear occasional criticisms to the effect that many millions of pounds

arc invested on the totalisator during the year, and it is generally indicated that the money is being squandered. This is an entirely fictitious presentation of the facts, and as there appears to be so much misconception in con nection with this it may he expedient to onee again state the truth of the case.

Let us say that six millions has been recorded as passing through the machine: this really means that certain sums have been circulating race after race, and month after month, until the aggregate totals £6,ouo.'}oo The actual sum subscribed by the public, instead of being that amount, is about £1,050,000; and as that money is all retained in the Dominion and spent usefully the charge of extravagant spending and waste is shown to be made through, lack of understanding—or else is more propaganda against racing. Let us follow the £1,050,000 further. Six hundred thousand pounds would he paid to the Government in taxation, so that the racing public contributes that amount to the public exchequer, lightening to that extent general taxation. The balance of £450,000 is spent in wages and . stakes. The stakes go to the winning owners: they firstly have to pay the Government a stakes tax of one per cent., in addition to all the other taxes on racing, and the balance of the money is spent on transport, nomination and acceptance fees, and to jockeys and trainers. who in torn pay out the bulk of their receipts in wages, oats, chaff, bran, linseed, carrots, etc., etc., while the. owners also pay the blacksmith, saddlers, and veterinary expenses. There are no propietary clubs in Now Zealand. All stewards and committ?o men give their time andi service free, receiving no remuneration —not even travelling expenses. Any surplus funds held by clubs after paying wages and stakes are held for buildings and other improvements to the racecourses.

The British Lcve of Sport. ftocing as a sport- requires no apologies. All our modern Kings have been owners and supporters of racing, besides many great statesmen and leaders of public opinion. Those among us who have been so fortunate as to attend a meeting at Epsom or Doncaster, and to have witnessed the thrilling spectacle of half a million people joining in an outburst of unrestrained enthusiasm as the King’s horse passed the post a winner, have had visible evidence of how deeply tooted is the love of racing in the British, character. How strong a hold trotting has ovi the national life of countries is exemplified by a Belgian, Charles Martens, who, writing to an American friend on the 4th. February this year, said: “My family and 1 have been in great clanger, where I lived I found myself in the front fighting line. My house was damaged and my barn was terribly hit by artillery and 14 horses were destroyed.” He Continued,i stating how much he missed receiving the usual American trotting news, and asking that papers should be sent to him. He: concluded with the following words': “Racing has been going on in Germany as usual. In.- Holland it resumed in the month of June; in France in November. This winter they have been racing three days a week in Vincennes, and also- three days a week in Brussels.”

Her© is some further testimony.— The London “Daily Telegraph,” on the 21st February, 1.641, says: ‘‘A preliminary list of fixtures for the first half of the fiat racing, season was issued by the Jockey Club in tho Racing Calendar yesterday. There will bo an average of three days’ racing a week, beginning at Lincoln on tho 26th March.” On the 29th March tho same paper said: ‘‘Two of the King’s horses run at Nottingham this afternoon.’’

Lefers From Soldiers Overseas. Several letters from our men overseas have been received on the subject of racing; extracts from a few follow—“N.Z. Hospital, Middle Fast -Forces. I will be glad to receive a; copy of your race card for the. next meeting with the 'results, dividends, etc., and I look forward to renewing my very pleasant and happy associations with your Club.” “H.M. Transport, Off the Azores. February, 1941. Apart from the intense interest taken by nearly all the force in the racing results from home (N.Z.) I think one of the soldiers’ greatest consolations is to feel that his people at home are able to carry cm with their more or less normal lives. Not once, but many times, 1 have heard men say, ‘Thank Clod my family are in. New Zealand where they can still get a lot of enjoyment out of life.’ If you could have seen the number of ‘Digger’ hats around all the available radios in Aldershot when ifc became known that some of the New Zealand week results were going to be broadcast, I don’t think you would have been in any doubt as to what the average man’s thoughts on the subject of racing were.” Another letter dated Gape Town, March, 1941: “On Saturday, a party of us were taken to the races and there was a big crowd. It was grand to be on a racecourse again. Wo had a most enjoyable afternoon and saw several other of our shipmates there. A meeting is held in Cape Town every Saturday throughout the year, and it seems to be a very popular sport with the locals.” Another letter, dated 28tn February ,1941, from the Now Zealand hospital in Egypt, says: “it is very pleasing to know that the Now Zealand public are still supporting the good old sport of trotting. We, here, would he very sorry to think that there would be any curtailment, ana i personally think that there is no reason why the people should not enjoy the sport they desire, if it does not interfere with war efforts.”

Another Soldier’s Letter. And yet another extract from a letter from a soldier avlio had just returned from Greece, after fighting in the rearguard and being one of the last to get away: “Was most pleased to find letters awaiting me and I. must thank you for all the news. I am always most interested to hear details 1 of the racing, dividends, time, etc., and all the commercial news. This seems to bring home a little nearer and helps tremendously to rest onethoughts from one’s immediate surroundings.” I have read several others all to the same effect. These extracts are interesting at the present time. That there has boon curtailment m England, we know, mainly on account of a shortage of fodder and the danger of large crowds congregating. Even a cricket field in the South of England was made a target and four players were killed, also a number of spectators. In reply to a question in the House of Commons on the 3rd April last, the Home Secretary, Mr Herbert Morrison, said:

“The. Government felt that while there had been soino reduction in racing, they should not pursue the policy, which would mean the end of this industry.”

Continuance of Trotting. Three of our clubs, with four days’ racing, for one reason and another, did not avail themselves of their permits this season; and. under an agreement with tho Hon. Minister of Internal Affairs, the permits were not allocated to other clubs, as is usual, thus reducing our racing by four days. The Hon. Minister agreed that the permits should be returned to the clulis after the war. It is therefore to be noted that the Trotting Conference has already agreed to a curtailment of our sport on account of the war. This statement brings us to the question as to wlvether there should bo a further cut at the present time. Your executive have considered this question very carefully and have arrived at tmconclusion that until it is agreed that racing is retarding war efforts we may .continue. The position, so far as trotting is concerned, is that we only have 80 days’ trotting, reduced to 76 this year, divided between 20 clubs, and that there has been a strong and insistent call for many years past- v for a considerable increase in the number of trotting permits. Of these 29 clubs, 21 have only ono or two days’ racing in the year, whilst only four have more than four days’ racing, and those are the four metropolitan Clubs. How different is this state of affairs to other countries, where there is racing on one course' in the metropolis every week all tho year round, with racing in the country districts also. Wo have a very strong following amongst the general public, and tho attendance at our meetings has steadily increased year by year, and it is true that we are very definitely short of sufficient permits to provide the pastime our patrons call for. It has been the aim of this Conference, for many years past, to secure more days for our sport; but, since war broke out, we have placed that object in the, background, and should the Government at any time decide that a curtailment of sport would be in the interests of the country, we will cooperate with them to the full extent considered necessary. And in that resolution I know that you are all of ono mind.