TROTTING HANDICAPS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23003, 24 April 1940, Page 7

TROTTING HANDICAPS

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir,—l should like to point out some very glaring cases of inconsistency in the handicapping of trotting races at the recent Ashburton meeting. Shadeland won the 3min 34sec class trot from 12 yards. For the same class at the patriotic meeting he started from 48 yards being penalised for his win 36 yards. Bush Laddie ran second to Shadeland at Ashburton, and for this was penalised 12 yards. I believe both these are the usual penalties for this • class of race. Now, at the patriotic meeting Millisle won the opening event, a 3min 39sec class, from 36 yards behind, or from a 3min 36sec mark. He was also in the 3min 34sec class event on the same day, and was allowed to start from the limit, thus not receiving any penalty beyond the 24 yards that he was automatically penalised by being put in the tighter class, although most horses winning a 3min 39sec class event get penalised 48 yards. Well, this horse, Millisle, won this 3min 34sec class event, and a few days later he appeared at Wellington, penalised only 12 yards, and, of course, won again. I wonder if the handicapping committee will make public some explanation of this very obvious inconsistency.—Yours, etc., FAIRPLAY. April 20, 1940. [When this letter was referred to the trotting authorities it was stated that the penalties received by the horses mentioned were in order and that it was natural that the smaller stakes at the patriotic meeting carried lighter penalties than those imposed for the much bigger stakes received at Ashburton. It was further stated that if the complaint was lodged with the handicapping committee, the -writer would receive an official explanation if he was an .interested party.]