IMPORTED HORSES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 15, 18 January 1930, Page 18

IMPORTED HORSES.

applying the PENALTY. i

When last season owners began to complain because of the successes scored "by horses brought across from Australia, and the Trotting Conference, at its sitting in July, brought in a rule- penalising any future importations two seconds to the mile on their best records, the effect desired by owners in the Dominion ■ivas accomplished. Previously horses had been brought over periodically, and many, of them had proved ■' up -to the best Standard of our own. Maybe they were, well treated by handicapners, but a win or two found them in their right place and to get further stakes was not easy. But wnile owners here objected to Australian horses coming over and winning races because it was considered they had a bit the best of the handicaps, peculiarly enough at the same time as a penalty was imposed upon any future importations, a new system of handicaping was brought in, which is proving a goldmine to ownjrs of good horses, and while giving some horses a big advantage is not fair handicapping, because no handicapping is fair unless all horses have a reasonable chance of winning, and frequently this is not so. However, owners have now got what they wanted, and they should have no complaints. If they haVe they are not entitled to sympathy. The imposing of the penalty of two scconds to the Tnile has put an end to horses coming from Australia, but it is extremely doubtful whether the step taken was in the best interests of the sport, not the owners. In recent years some of the best horses to race in the Dominion came from across the Tasman, and among them may be.; mentioned Minton Derby, Eealm, Globe Derby, Sheik, Delavan's Quest, Happy Voyage, Grand Voyage, and Machine Brick. Seeing that there are official handicappers ■ in New Zealand whose duty.it is to know the performances of horses and handicap them •accordingly,' it does ..not savour of the true sporting spirit being a trait of our owners when they adopt the dog in the nmngcr policy, and place a ban on Australian horses, for that is what the imposition of a penalty amounts to. New Zealand sends gallopers across to Bandwick arid Flemington, and frequently go close to scooping the pool of big races, •but there is n? suggestion that our gallopers should be given a stone 111 weight more' than their performances warrant, and there is no honest reason whv trotters from Australia should not be "able to come to New Zealand and be handicapped fairly. Seeing that our owners, backed up by the conference, do not want visitors, it will be interesting to note if at the pext conference in July a penalty similar o that applied to Australian horses, will be ■brought in to or English importations. It is not likely many horses will be brought from the two countries . mentioned, but , recently .we in Auckland have had a couple of horses arrive from England. One, Linnet the Great, is a trotter and has 'won two races, while tlie other, Dan Direct, has ttp ye • faced the starter.. Their records aie supplied., with registration papers, and it is only right that they should be handicapped according to what they have done, and it is not honest to ask them to do better than^ they have done. As a matter of fact the public .'want to see the best horses racing, irrespective bf rwhero they come from,:and the conference,. so far from banning good horse* should cncourage them. ' /