RACING IN SOUTH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 12 July 1930, Page 16

RACING IN SOUTH.

POPXJXABITY OF TROTTING. APPEAL FOR LONGER FLAT RACES. (By Telegraph.—'Special to "Star.") WELLINGTON, Friday. The Canterbury Jockey Club moved at the New Zealand Racing Conference today to have the average distance of all flat races seven furlongs. Mr. G. Gould said there was a large number of races that were mere flutters, and nothing more than a sheer gamble, and if the horse was left then the supporters of it were "gone." Racing was in in a ,very bad position in the South Island, from Nelson to Dunedin, and the only clubs that were'holding their own were the clubs maintaining a reasonable standard in the distance of their races. There were several clubs nearly on their last legs, and this was a matter they should try to correct. This would be stabilised to some extent by the inclusion of one mile hack races on every programme. It was a most important thing. It .was. quite a fallacy to assume that second-grade horses were only sprinters. Trotting was going'ahead in the South Island, and was getting tremendous support in the North Island. Flat racing and the breeding of the thoroughbred horse was in jeopardy. Mr. H. O. Nolan agreed with Mr. Gould. Mr. A. C. Hanlon (Dunedin) said that the extension of their races had always been successful in getting good fields. Their mile and a quarter races were the best on their programme. There were any amount of hacks who could do a mile and a quarter. The Southland Racing Club's efforts in the direction of extending their races had been most successful. He agreed with Mr. Gould regarding the influence of trotting on galloping in Canterbury and Otago. The public thought that trotting was much more, interesting than galloping, because the races were longer. In galloping it was only a few seconds, and then the uublic had to walk round for 40 minutes before another race. After further discussion, in which it was held that Taranaki and other places would have difficulty in complying with the remit, it was defeated.