WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 164, 13 July 1928, Page 12

WHEEL AND TRACK NOTES.

(By ORION.)

During the season the sum of £671 4/10 was paid to trotting horsemen from the New Zealand Conference's provident fund, which still has a credit balance of £5757 18/11.

Xelson McElwyn, who recently I ned J. J. Kennerlcy's Addington team, Is a more than useful pacer by Nelson Bingen from Mis* Speirs, the latter a beau-tifully-bred mare imported from America by Mr. E. X. Lclievre.

Silk Thread, who was troubled with •plint* a good dcnl last year, is not altogether free from his ailment, and he is doing only light work at Islington. He lias not been able to give of his best owing to the splint trouble, but his owner, Mr. J. R. McKenzie, has a couple of two-year-olds by this horse in work under D. Withers' care, and they show thd greatest promise.

W. J. Tomkinson has Happy Rosa back again in his charge. This brilliant but somewhat erratic trotter is said to have furnished considerably since last •he raced in the Dominion. She was taken to Australia by P. Riddle, and raced most successfully on Sydney tracks. Happy Rosa has plenty .of speed, and Bow that she lias settled down she should race well in good company.

Mr. H. F. Nicoll, president of the Trotting Conference, acting for the •xecutive, made an attempt to have the rules altered so that an amateur driver could drive only a horse solely owned by him or by his wife, father, brother, or sister. The proposal was viewed with •trong disfavour by a section of the country delegates, and the president, in deference to the wishes of the objectors, was given leave to withdraw his proposal.

In a letter to the Board of New Zealand Trotting Association, the Canterbury Park Trotting Club stated that it had inquired into the use of the "tongue-strap" used on the gelding High Jinks at its recent meeting. A good deal of expert evidence had been taken as to the cruelty or otherwise of the use of the contraption from C. Price (trainer) and Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, M.P., veterinary surgeon, ' both of whom regarded the use of the strap as not cruel if used correctly. The action of the club was endorsed.

The proposals of the Canterbury Owners' and Breeders' Association, which came before the Trotting Conference, did not find favour with the delegates. The remit to give the association a representative on the conference met with little support, while there was even lees aupport for the proposal for a minimum weight of eleven stone in harness races. The proposed new ride that no horse should be handicapped slower than his best winning time lapsed for want of a seconder, and the suggestion that all maiden horses should be handicapped on the same mark until they had won a race was thrown out promptly after being nominated and seconded.

At the meeting of the Trotting Conference on Tuesday a letter was read from the Ashburton Trotting Club suggesting that the stewards of trotting clubs should each receive a pass which would entitle them to admission to trotting meetings in any part of the Dominion. Mr. P. Robilliard (Ashburton) ■aid a similar scheme was in operation in Hawke's Bay, where it was a great success. Mr. O. Ebbett (Hawke's Bay) endorsed that view. The arrangement worked well in his distriet. It was a mors convenient method than having to make separate application when a ticket was required. Mr. J. Rowe (Auckland) thought the proposal might lead to abuse. His club issued tickets for its meetings to representatives of all clubs in the Auckland district, and visitors from a distance could obtain all the privileges they required. Mr. B. J. McKenna (New Brighton) thought that a scheme which already was acting so well in Hawke's Bay should be given some consideration. The president (Mr. H. F. Nicoll) said that to issue tickets as suggested might cause great difficulties, especially if the tickets got into wrong hands. On a vote the conference decided not to accede to the suggestion.