NEW ZEALAND TROTTING ASSOCIATION

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14660, 8 May 1913, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND TROTTING ASSOCIATION

IMwstinjr of the K«w Zealand Trotting ciaticn was held yeatetday afteraoon. Pro—Mcß«r9 P. Sehg (president), R. O. Dun-:-W H. Dcnton. W. G. Gaxrard, W. HayI, and C. S. Hottoll. Apologies for »b----o we: c received from Memn C. P. Mark Jdu.F. Nicoll. . . ' I. appeal ■ wan - lodged by J. Brankin nst tne decision of the South Canterbury er' Club in disqualifying him and the (Lylena for twtsve months in connection .the B*ncon«fioJ<l Trot at the Club's toAutumn ileeting. 6*»ecr*tary of the South Canterbury Club metl the Association that -Mr li.. O. Ihm« had been a«k«d to repieeont the olnb at hearing of the appeal. - ; . •Duncan stated that h« had replied to dab to th» effect that ac a member 'of Appeal Committee he did sot consider Ivisublo to act ts tho cub* repweont*--6 President eald th»t he thought Mr sans decision wu a wise one, but in any »«, an official of the South Canterbury sj . Club, ha ooald take no part in th« njj of- the case. > . • • ■ c. evidence taken it* th» enquiry beM lie sUwarda of K tbe South Canterbury .-.we* read. It w»» to &6 effect that

Lylena had run very badly in the Gladstone Trot on the first day and on the pecond clay had won the iieaconsfiold Trot very easily, the tiguroe submitted at tho original enquiry indicated that Lylena had been better backed on the second day when ehe won, than on the first day, when ehe ran badly. In ft subsequent letter, the secretary of the South. Cnntotbury Jockey Club forwarded a corrected statement of the investment* on

Lylena. On the first day there had been £175 out of a total of £683 103, and on the second day £90 out of more than twioe at much. In the statement forwarded in support of his appeal Brankin stated thai he had had a licence for fourteen years, xma was the first time ho had been called before the stewards, or had tho running of one of hie horses questioned. He appeared before the Association and ea id that Lylena. was frequently lame and was unreliable. On th© first day of the South Canterbury Meeting , she would not settle down, but elm went freely on the second day. He had drawn tho attention of the Clerk of the Course to her condition, but that official had not been called to give evidanco. Several of hie friends had backed Lylena on the first dny, but oh the second day hail supported Evelyn, who finished second to Lylenn. had put £3 on Lylena on the first day, and £1 on the second day. Evidence was given by J. W. Kogew, who Bald .he had frequently seen Lylena working on Brankin's tracks, and considered her extreme.)- , \«nrcliable, due, ho'thought, to the fact that elm euffored from muscular rheumatism. H« had no interest in the case, and though ho owned horsos, Brankin was not his trainer. J. Brankin also gave evidence on the lines of {lie statements he hod submitted. . In reply to questions ha said that hie only reason for backing the mare at all on the Second day was that he knew eho had pace, and ho thought sho might go kindly. It had never occurred to him that there migm be trouble if ho won on the second day after finishing eb far back on the first day. Ho won a long way behind on the first day, perhaps a quarter of a mile, but after hittin? his lrvaro et the back of the course, and findin tf thai ehe "tangled' Tip," and refused to strike agait, he w*a almost inclined to pull up in disgust. The appellant then retired, and the c*»e was d"«eu«9«l by tho Board. , The "President said that he was always, of tho opinion that t stewards who saw the race were best qnalified to d?»l with the incident ari3iup outof it* running. At the jamo time the AettxHation had to oe guided "t .J*" c . . enrrtn,n drng _.circumptance.s.. The ste>«Tj« ot Canterbury,';' hockey . Crab, in nrrivjnjr at a docieion, said that Jn new of tho totalizator investments a»d the ca?e with which Lylena won on the eecond day after tein-; nowhere on the firet. day, it hid been 'decided to di?nualify -Brankia atitl the maw for twelve months. In view of the corrected fipurps. the stewards JaAd evidently come to a decision m wronw grounds. Mx t Onrrard pointed out that in their «nd letter tlv stewards had said that their decision would not have been altered.' Continuing the Preeidenk said that * disqualification for inconsistent runnin°- wns a ■ wry • fcrioua matter. Personally ho did not consider that there was much in the present C**9 to. warrant the disqualification ctmrt from the question of timo. Brankin rdmiV.od that he hud. finished a long, way behind on the first day, but udded that he never thought there would be trouble on the second day ■if he won. Apatt from the variation ia the tune the ciiae seemed very weakj and It vraa for the members to consider whether they should uphold Uie decision on that ground. If diiqualiilcations ahrtys followed variations in time they wou'd have a very laf*e addition to their register , of diaqualiflcatwn*. If the members were influenced by the evidence of Mr Kogers, it was the : r duty, in accordance with the rufee, to refer that evidence back to the cluh.

Mr Garrard eaid that the question of ineonafetent running waa a very serious one, put Jμ thought the present case waa a particnlarly weak one from the dub'e point of ■ » TV ..?*. 1l ew ? itentioa t° Rule 83, which elated that the character of *he pertiee and the characteristic!! of the bon-e muat be taken into consideration. Ho did not know the owner of tho marc, but he did know Brsnkm as one of tholr ,very etraight*at jWers and drivers. Hβ would nol rtpport the endoTßement of the di*)Ualific&tion. Mr Howoll ea ! d ho had known Brankia for a number of yenre, and could endorae what Mr Oarrard had taid aa to his character. _ Mr Harward moved that the appeal ebould be upheld. ' Mr Garrard aecotided the motion The President aaked whether anyone could cay as to whether the South Cantertmry

ft*w»rde included any who were mil m> in yje Bu'.es of Trottin- , jji Denton e»id tfiat Iμ ints coming l to that point. He considered the time had arrived when they" (herald- have stipendiary »t*wtrd» to control the trotting events at 'racing clnba meetings. He would support th« motion. Tfc, PresJdeat said that the membere appeared to be un&nimoue, hut he thought the motion passed should be eomething more th«n • b»:d statement that the decision wae reversed. On hie euegestion, th« ■ motion mi passed in the following form, bein<» lotted to unanimously:—"That on the case as presented by the South Canterbury J,C, thin Board is of opinion that there is insufficient evidence to warrant the disqualification of J. Brankin and the mare Lylena. in accordance with Rule 280, acd therefore uphold* the appeal." In reply to the President* question, it wae rtftted thai the stewards of the South Oanterbury Jockey Club were not *ell versed in the Ruiee of Trotting.

Mr Denton gavo notice of a motion to be placed in the Suggestion Book, providing for the eppointraent of stipendiary Htewurds A letter -R-as received from tho National Trotting Association of America in replr to a question put by the Association in re-rod to the ate ot hopples on trotters. The roply was am followe:—"In America it ie a -very rare thinp to see 8 hoppled trotter, although a. iev? trainers use what is known aa a haTfhopplc, it being put on the forelegs as stated in your letter. The Board of Review of the National Trotting Association had occasion to onoe pass upon this matter, and it ruled that a horse wearing ha.!f-hopples was not eligible to compete where half-hopplea wero barred."

A leU«r u-a.3 received from the New South Wales Trotting Clab etnting that that body had considered it advisable to defer ootion in repard to entering reciprocal relatibpe with the tVeat Trotting Association. Mr Onncan eaid that ho thought the New Zealand Association should hare given a lead in this matter. On hie motion, eooocded by Mr Denton, it vas decided to «nter into reciprocal relations with the West Australian Trotting Association,

The Piesident, Mr Garrard, and the secretary were appointed a committee to consider the notices of motion in the Suggestion Book. A letter from the Wftiau Racing Club, containing several eugge?tione for altemtioaa to the Rules of Trotting, wae referred to tho Ommitteo.

The action of the Exocutire in granting permission for the inclusion of an Exhibition Trotting Bace in tbe progremmo of tbo eporta meeting to bs b*!d at Aldington in connection with the viait of 11.M.5. New Zealand was approved. . : Mr J. 11. Po-wer wrote in connection with tiie disqualification of Tea Tree in the Stayers' Handicap at tho NW Brighton C'.ub'e Autumn Meeting, asking whether the fine of £o imposed on tho rider could be remitted.

It was decided that no action cau'.d bo taken in the matter. Several progrum.-nee as passed by Uie EiofAitivo were" approved Licensee recommended by the Licencing Committee, were iwueO. It watt decided to send a letter of sympathy to Mrs R. Sund*r!and on tho death of her husband, who had been long oonnected with the sport of trotting, nod to Mr A. J. Harper, a otewtird of the New Brighton Trotting Ciiiu, on the death' of hie wifo.