TROTTING HANDICAPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 222, 19 September 1929, Page 24

TROTTING HANDICAPS.

THE NEW SYSTEM. ALTERATIONS NECESSARY. METROPOLITAN CLUB'S DECISION. (By Telegraph.—SpecirJ to " Star.") CHRISTCHURCH, this clay. The adoption of the new system of handicapping will make it necessary for some clubs to alter the conditions of their races. The experience of the August meeting has demonstrated this to the committee of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, and the changes will come with effect at the spring meeting in November. The chief alteration concerns the races, which have a restriction at each end. The Riccarton Handicap on the opening day is the first event which is affected. The conditions, as originally framed, made this race open to horses that can do 4.40, and have not done or been handicapped to do 4.35 or better. Under these conditions a horse that did 4.35 or better after nomination would become ineligible, even though under the handicapping conditions lie might be eligible for a handicap slower than 4.35. This has been met by altering tlie conditions to "For liorses that can do 4.40 or better but one not assessed by the club's handicapper at 4.35 or better."

11l the general conditions it is provided that assessed by the club's handicapper means "handicap declared by the club's handicapper for the race in question." The old system of re-nomination has been dispensed with. In its place the following condition has been inserted: —"In the event of»a rehandicap placing a horse outside the limits of the race in which it has already been handicapped, it shall nevertheless be eligible to race in that event, but will be transferred to the correct class when next handicapped." Another condition provides that horses nominated for races, for which they become ineligible after nomination, wu: be transferred to a race of a similar distance for which they are eligible. Horses having an Australian record, but not a New Zealand record, shall be subject to a penalty of two seconds for one mile and one mile and a-quarter. three seconds for one mile and. a-half and four seconds for two miles to their Australian record.