NEW ZEALAND RACING CONFERENCE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11021, 19 July 1901, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND RACING CONFERENCE.

THE CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS

(SPECIAL TO "THE PRESS.") WELLINGTON. July 18. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference was opened in Wellington this morning, when the Chairman (Sir George Clifford) read the following report: "The racing season now drawing to a close has given many evidences of the increasing popularity of the sport and of the determination oif racing authorities to improve it by the suppression of abuses. Their efforts in this drrection have sometimes led to slight friction, bub the fcneral result has been conducive to the purity of the turf. The work of the Conference during the recess has considerably increased in amount. Tts Stud Book has been issued, and the Conference may be reminded that it was empowered to spend £500 on this account, which now shows a debit balance of only £20, as against a stock in hand valued at £350. The expenses, therefore, have hsen almost defrayed by sales, except that the compiler has so fnr not received adequate remuneration. He is. however, content in this respect to await further sales. Many representations have been made as to your resolution of last meeting with regard to improvements on country courses, and I would suggest that clubs which find difficulty in immediate, compliance should submit schemes for gradual performance of this obligation to the public. I may congratulate the Conference on the almost total i abolition of the 5 per cent, deduction from ! stakes. The returns of the Official Calendar disclose that only six clubs still offend—one in Auckland, two in Canterbury, and three in. Otago. Four appeals have been referred to and decided by the Conference, and two more arc now pending. I have, on your behalf, to thank the Hon. L , . J. Johnston, Hon. J. D. Ormond. Hon. Captain Russell, nrd Messrs H. D. Bell. J. A. Cook. T. Morrin, and C. Hood Williams for their consent to act as judges. The resentment created by the rule which has the effect of rendering illegal certain pony races in trotting programmes is based on a misunderstanding. Tke Conference necessarily requires that all horses racing, as distinguished from trotting, should comply with the Rules of Racing, which are primarily deA class of racing outside its supervision could not fail to give occasional rise to grave difficulties, and many reasons exist why racing and trotting should each be separately and exclusively conducted by authorities specialty selected for competence to control either pastime. The nomenclature of horses has required more .attention than it should, and I nave suggested a small alteration in the rule which will compel the careless owner to avoid giving needless trouble. I have refrained from subjecting offenders to the fines authorised by the Conference, anticipating that the amended rule would render such warning superfluous. The narrow escape of the perpetrators of the "Ethel' frauds from criminal punishment seems to bare ended such attempts in this colony, but the renewal in Australia of similar operations by the same person shows how completely justified the Conference was in instituting his prosecution. I think it advisable to warn horse-owners of the danger oi negligence in complying with rules. There have been recent instances of horses running without registration of partnership and without deposit of certificate by the owner of an imported horse. In such eases objections would have been necessarily fatal in case of a win, however innocent the owners may have been in intention. Th« usual statistics are submitted to you, showing the stakes paid and the totalisator investment* of each dub. These figures are full of suggestion. Of the clubs which appeared in the list of the previous year, sixty-two have increased their totalisator business, notably—Canterbury, by £23,226 ; AucKland, by £15,118; , Wellington, by, Ai10.286 ; Dunedin, by £9350 ; Taranaki, \ by £5592 ; Feilding, by £4042 ; Rangitikei,

by £3932: Reefton, by £3910; Egmont, by £3845; Avondak, by £3538; and Wairarapa, by i>3442. Sixteen other clubs have advanced by more than £1000, while eighteen have retrogressed, the deficiency amounting in one case only to as much as £1000. About 62£ per cenfc. of the £129,354 paid in stakes was derived from total isator revenue. Of the clubs distributing in irtakes an amount less than luO per cent, of thur gross totalizator revenue, many find themselves in that position from the sudden increment of tofcalisator receipts. Of those noticed, last year in this connection, Pahiatua, Stratford, Kiverton, Foxton, and, pre-eminently, Avondale, substantially increased their prizes. Patea also did so, but is now required under Rule 7 to make further additions, while Takapuna and Marton remain as heretofore—conspicuous for want of hoerality. The general tlow of prosperity raises the question whether more club? should not'strengthen their programmes by inclusion of some form of weight-for-age race. lam convinced that even if the individual ra.ee did not show profit it would, if suitably devised, act beneficially through the attendance and enhanced attractiveness of the meeting. Flourishing clubs should however, justify their position by fostering the best class of race, even if at some temporary sacrifice—an unselfish course which would rarely pass unrewarded, and would greatly assist to dispel prejudices and populari«? "tie turf. I cannot conclude without a tribute of congratulation on his recent honours to Sir Joseph Ward, with -whom this Conference has been in constant and cordial official communication."'

So far. there is nothing striking to record in connection with the sitting of the Racing Conference. The attempt to secure a complete revision of the Rules of Racing by referring them to a special Committee failed, despite the vigorous eloquence of the representative of Taranaki. The Otago representatives fought hard for a reduction in the amount wiien must be paid per diem for single-day race meetings, so as to enable them to include more valuable trotting races in their programmes, but they also were unsuccessful. The definition of a hack was responsible for the usual swarm of suggested amendments with the object of giving hacks a longer bfe bef»*e being compelled to compete in open company, but no ohange was made. The fight to increase the minimum weight from 6st 71b to 7st was not pushed vigorously, and collapsed for want of support.

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, July 18. j-A- the Racing Conference the report and balance sheet for the year ended July Bth last, showing a credit balance of £124 6s 10?. were adopted.

Mr Friedlander gave notice of motion for a Committee, consisting of one delegate from eacn metropolitan club, with the chairman of the Ccnference as convener, and a member of the Committee, ex officio, be set up to consider the disposal of the funds standing to the credit of the Trainers and Jcckevs' Provident Fund.

A petition was received from a large mnaer of horse-trainers asking for better concessions for travelling on Government lines. The petitioners asked that instead of the present, rates, they should 'be charged half fares each way when travelling to race meetings. The Conference dscided to lay the matter before the Minister of Railways. W. H. Fergus, an injured jockey, applied for compensation. Mr Petrie explained that the applicant was injured two years ago, when the Nelson Olub was a metropolitan club. The Grevmouth Jockey Club had been unable to find out what had become of the Nelson Club's Distressed Jockeys' Fund. The was referred to the Nelson Jockey Omb's delegate for information.

Consideration of dates and totalisator permits submitted by the clubs for meetings during the forthcoming season were submitted to the following Committee to report:—Messrs Alipon, Friedlander, McVay, Miller, and Nolan.

The Taraihiki Jockey Club's proposal to set up a Committee to'be appointed for the purpose of preparing rules of racing was lost.

The proposal of the Taranaki Olub that all races other than handicaps shall be considered weight-for-age events was withdrawn. The Otago country- clubs' proposal to reduce the stake limit from £150 to £120 per day was withdrawn. The Otago country clubs proposed a further amendment that clubs should be allowed to give £30 of their stakes in trotting events. The amendment was negatived.

The Wellington Racing Glub proposed an addition to Rule 13, giving stewards the power to Teview the running of a horse fourteen days? prior or subsequent to any meeting being held. The motion was withdrawn.

On behalf of the Taranaki country clubs Mr Nolan moved that the minimum weight be altered from 6st 71b to 7st. Mr Bidwell stated th%t the 7st minimum had been tried by the Wairarapa Racing Club. It was found that good horses were overweighted. The amendment was negatived. Mr McLean moved the Dunedin Jockey Club's motion, that the season for welter weights in flat races be altered from June 30th to September Ist. Negatived. The Auckland Racing Club asked that the ge'ding allowance be increased from 31b to sib. A Committee was appointed to deal with the matter.

The Taranaki Jockey Club's motion that no club deduct 5 per cent, from the stakes was objected to by Mr McLean. The chairman expressed the. opinion that so long as a club gave an amount of stakes in accordance with the rules, clubs could deduct more than 5 per cent. The amendment was negatived.

The. Wanganui country clubs moved that the amount to be won by hacks before being debarred 1 from competing in such races be increased from 150 to 250 sovereigns. The proposal was negatived. An addition to Rule 51, clause i, was moved by the Chairman, providing t; at the name proposed for any horse mu»t Ye registered with the secretary of a racing club. The motion was carried without discussion.

The Wellington Racing Club moved to add to Rule 59a, that no assumed name shall be registered for any partnership or association of owners. The Chairman thought the amendment a desirable one, and it was agreed to. The Conference agreed that the Chairman's ruling, that all horses in which one owner was interested should be bracketed in the totalisator, should be added to the report of the proceedings of the Conference, and circulated among the clubs. The Taranaki Jockey Club moved to amend Rule 62 to read. "Stewards may prevent a horse from starting if all fees are not paid." The Taranaki Jockey Club's amendments to Rule 79 and 79a were withdrawn.

The Wellington Racing Club's motion to add to Rule 91 the words, "At the time when the horses pass the. winning-post, was considered unnecessary, and was negatived. The Wairarapa Country Clubs moved that horses must be ridden out whether they have reasonable chances of winning or not. The motion was negatived^ The Wairarapa Country Clulbp moved to strike out cause 3 of Rule 142,' which debars a jockey being the owner, part owner or lessee of any racehorse in training. The motion was negatived. A .motion by the Taranaki and Hawke's Bay Clubs, to" amend Rule 142, clause 3, to strike out the word "owned," was agreed to.

The Taranaki Jockey Club's motion to remove tha registration* of apprentices from the office of the Conference to the jockey clubs was negatived. A proposed amendment to Rule 152, making it compulsory for an owner to be fined for not running his 'horse in the colours named at the thne of entry was negaitived.

The Wanganui Country Clubs moved that the fee of £1, charged for gentleman rider's certificate, be abolished. The Chairman supported the amendment. A postponement was agreed upon. Capt. Russell moved an amendment to Rule 156, that no hurdle race shall be under a mile and three-quarters. Negatived.