CONTROL OF TROTTING

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24020, 7 August 1943, Page 6

CONTROL OF TROTTING

ANNUAL CONFERENCE HELD The executive and dates committee had received urgent appeals clubs u able to race last season because ot a 50 per cent, cut in the ailMation of totalisator permits, said Mr H. F- Nicoll ii his address to delegates at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Trotting C AIfSI S'jS'.ble .. .bow geod cause why they should be issued with permits and it was a hardship 0 » them to have their permits cut out. It was im possible for the conference to eater for all at the present time and the only remedv was to centralise trotting on the clubs in a position to give good stakes. Any other policy would be a hardship on owners and trainers. It was not for want of trying by the conference that more permits were not made available, but it was hoped that the War .P®} 51 ! 1 ,? 1 would review the position now that the outlook for the Allied Forces was much brighter. A Popular Sport The sport was receiving remarkable favour from the public and men in uniform. and there was an urgent necessity for providing trotting meetings on Saturdays and holidays. In England the King continued to race his horses as freely as before the war, and it was significant that the Australian Government had relaxed restrictions on racing. Ml Nicoll said the conditions in New ZeaInad were still more favourable for racing. ~ , Matinee meetings had provided a certain amount of relief - for owners and trainers, and more liberal allocation of stake money was being arranged by the different clubs. Trotting gave the Government an endless chain of revenue which cost nothing to collect. The totalisator turnover had had no detrimental effect upon the public's subscription and this was shown in the success of the £35.000,000 War Loan. The trotting authorities had worked amicably with the men in control of the galloping sport, and this close cooperation was for the benefit of all. The sum of £106,560 had been given in stakes by the different clubs, a decrease of £13,000 on last year. With increased turnover, clubs should endeavour to increase th,e amount of their stakes. Handicapping Members would be pleased to receive the report by the handicapping committee, and to know that the system which was adopted by the conference in 1929 had stood the test of time and had the almost unanimous support of owners and trainers. There was some room for improvement. The committee was pleased to meet the Auckland and Canterbury Owners’ and Breeders’ Associations' representatives, and others interested in the subject of handicapping, and he bebelieved that the alterations agreed to would be an improvement upon the system and would satisfy all parties. Remits Considered On behalf of the Forbury Park Trotting Club. Mr H. Halliday moved: "That ah races at a meeting of a club or racing club at which the totalisator is used shall be started by the starter or his duly authorised substitute from a'raised platform not less than five feet in height, on which such starter shall stand at least nine feet back • from the rails.” Mr Halliday said the remit aimed at fairer racing to all, especially to drivers of horses at the back of a field. An arrangement as suggested would give all drivers a chance to see the drop of the starters’ flag. Mr H. E. August (Wellington) seconded the motion and said the alteration was an urgent necessity. His own club was at a disadvantage in having to race on a borrowed course, but this was only a war-time difficulty. A question as to whether racing clubs, who also' catered for trotting horses, could be compelled to erect special stands for starters caused little discussion and Mr W. Grieve (Invercargill) moved an amendment to the effect that it be a recommendation from the conference that clubs provide facilities along the lines suggested in the remit. The amendment was carried. Remits which dealt with the handicapping system and were put on the order paper by the Auckland and New Brighton Trotting Clubs were withdrawn on the application of the sponsors. • It was the unanimous wish of the conference that the rule passed at the last meeting of delegates giving the executive of the conference the power to suspend or vary certain of the Rules of Trotting be continued in force until a subsequent meeting of the conference should resolve otherwise. Election of Officers Tlie election of officers resulted as follows:—President. Mr H. F. Nicoll; vicepresident. Mr B. S, Irwin; treasurer, Mr A. L. Matson: executive. Messrs E. G. Bridgens and J. E, August.