UNWIELDY FIELDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 9

UNWIELDY FIELDS

TOO MANY HORSES OFFERING "CATER FOU THE BEST" Special. WELLINGTON, this day. As in the previous year totalisator permits allotted to racing clubs were again restricted to 120 days, though later in the season we were given seven additional ordinary permits and five special patriotic permits for meetings, the profits of which amounted to £24,967 and were given to national patriotic funds. "The number of horses in training is greater than ever and is still steadily increasing. With racing restricted to 120 days a year, it is very difficult to provide enough races for these horses," said Mr. H. R. Chalmers at the Racing Conference to-day. "Of course, these conditions may change when the full number of racing days is restored, but in the meantime X think that clubs should seriously consider restricting fields. There are many methods of doing this. Personally, I prefer the elimination of the lowest handicapped horses, ballotting being resorted to when there are more horses on the lowest weights than it is necessary to eliminate. Other methods which could be considered are eliminating horses of four years and upwards that have not run into a place in their last, say, six starts, and by clubs making it a condition that entries for open races will not be taken from horses still eligible for hack races. This would not onlv tend to cut down large fields, but might conceivably be the cause of throwing out of training many of the indifferent and poor horses now racing. There is no doubt in my mind that a great number of the horses seen out at race meetings are not of any class. The larger clubs, particularly, should under existing conditions, cater for the good horses and not put on hack races in which maiden horses of all ages and description are eligible to compete." There had been an improvement in regard to keeping races up to the scheduled times, but there was still room for improvement, said Mr. Chalmers. The introduction of portable electric totalisators in New Zealand would be a very great help to secondary and country clubs, and he thought clubs whose finances would not stand the cost of installation of stationary electric totalicators would be weil advised to get together with a view to purchasing a portable tote for use by all clubs working within a reasonable radius.