New Zealand Cup.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 12

New Zealand Cup.

Suggested Conditions. Although the next New Zealand Trotting Cup is still more than two month® off, speculation is already rife regarding the probable conditions Tor tlie racr. Many views have been expressed, and at least one proposal has been put forward by a prominent southern sportsman that the greatest event 5n the Dominion's trotting calendar sliould have a fixed limit of 60yds, and that horses assessed at 4.30. or faster, for two miles be invited to enter. It is not improbable, however, that the race will be restricted to horses who are assessed to cover two miles at 4.25 or faster. Since its inception, the New Zealand Trotting Cup has frequently failed to provide the contest expected, and several attempts have been made to arrange the conditions so that only the best horses would be allowed to compete, and thus ensure a contest worthy of the occasion. One of the biggest difficulties the officials of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club have had to contend with is to eliminate horses who are past their best, and to extend the class sufficiently to bring in the pick of the young pacers without prejudicing the horses who had earned tight marks and were capable of repeating their best form. While many enthusiasts forecast that the race will be restricted to horse* assessed to cover two miles in 4.25 or faster, the officials should realise that to adopt any clans would onlv provide a repetition of results of former yi?ar*. The popular idea is one fashioned along the lines of the conditions which governed the inter-Dominion championship. New Suggestion. One prominent southern sportsman has submitted a proposal that a fixe 1 limit of 60yds be applied, and th:>t horses assessed on 4.30 or faster f-.r two miles be invited to enter. This would enable about 40 horso* to compete, the race to be run in two heats and a final. From the 40 entries the club's committee would have the right to select or reject entries.

The two heats are proposed to be run •"» the first day of the November meeting, the distance to be either a mile and a half or a mile and five furlongs, the grand final to be decided on the second day of the meeting, and to be over two miles. The idea of varying the distances is to confuse tihe form, and so create greater interest in the final. It is also suggested that the first four horses in each heat be eligible to compete in the final, and that tnc officials have the right to invite any of the remainder of the competitors in the heats to contest the final. Another important feature of the proposal is that all horses be penalised from their assessed mark, which meant that should a horse assessed on 4.20 be successful or gain a place, he would only be assessed from 4.29. Stake of £4000? As far as the stake is concerned, the amount suggested is only equivalent tr» what would be distributed for throe contests of a similar nature. Some that it should be £4000. Of that amount it is proposed to allot. £1000 to each heat and £2000 to inc. grand final. Should the conditions suggested l>e adopted, they would automatically sort the horses in form from those "incapable of reproducing their best, and thus provide a process of elimination which would bring together the best horses in commission, and make the New Z?aland Trotting Cup of 1938 the 111,*-t memorable race in the Dominion.