TROTTING Night Trotting Has Made Rapid Progress In N.S.W.

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27564, 22 January 1955, Page 4

TROTTING Night Trotting Has Made Rapid Progress In N.S.W.

[Specially Written for "The Press”] [By R. W. BISMANI

Trotting in New South Wales has reached a high standard, and is steadily reducing the margin of popularity that galloping has enjoyed for many years in and around Sydney. But the light-harness sport in this State has certainly had its bleak moments. In the late 1930’s the sport was at such a low ebb that there seemed little hope for its future. As far back as 1810, trotting events were held at various sports and race meetings in New South Wales, but the first full trotting programme in the State was run on April 1, 1882, on land known then as Elsternwick Park. The main event was a race for stallions, worth 100 sovereigns and a sweepstake of 15 sovereigns to the winner. Trotting ift earnest may be said to have started near the turn of the century. The Sydney Driving Club, formed in 1887, was the first regular trotting body. However, a far more important page in the early history of the sport was written when the New South Wales Trotting Club was formed by a few ardent and financial admirers in 1902. Th j New South Wales Trotting Club •held its first meeting on November 19, 1902, at Forest Lodge, which is now Harold Park, Sydney. Shortly afterwards the Metropolitan Rugby Union took control of Forest Lodge and the trotting club was forced to race on a course at Kensington, about two miles from the heart of Sydney. However, the trotting club later leased the Harold Park ground (at that stage known as Epping) from the Rugby Union. The trotting club met with such success at subsequent meetings that in 1911 it was able to buy the ground for £10,400. It was during that year that the club was first recognised by the Government as the controlling body of trotting in the State. It was not until 1929 that the ground became known as Harold Park.

Trotting’s Downfall The years after World War I .were bad years for the club. The “sister sport, racing, had already established a strong hold, and there were few available or suitable week-end dates for trotting permits. Trotting was forced to take mid-week dates. Interest, turnovers, and stakes dropped, and this resulted in an exodus of the best trotting horses from New South Wales to Western and South Australia, where the sport was booming. Subsequently, there was little incentive to further the breeding of such horses in the S fn e i9ls, 150 New South Wales country towns held trotting meetings. By 1939 this number was reduced to 12. Other trotting States had been quick to realise the potentialities of night trotting. The first electric-light trotting meeting conducted in Perth was on January 24, 1914. The South Australia Trotting Club, under the name of the South Australian Trotting Association, commenced night trotting in 1918. That night trotting meant prosperity to the sport is shown clearly m the fact that the New South Wales Trotting Club paid £893 in taxation on its income from admission charges for the six months which ended, December, 1935, and one club in Adelaide paid £4OOO for a similar period after being in existence for less than three years. Tne highest stake given to a winner at a meeting at Harold Park in 1939 was £B9—less than the amount earned by the winner of the main race at the first trotting meeting in New South Wales, in 1882. on June 15, 1939, 1000 enthusiasts from ail parts of New South Wales attended a public meeting in the Sydney Town Hall to advocate trotting meetings at night with betting. It was probably this meeting more than anything else that persuaded Parliament to take a hand. A few months later a select committee of the Legislative Assembly was appointed “to inquire into and report upon the conduct and administration of trotting in New South Wales.”

Night Meetings Begun At the end of a long series of inquiries the committee made representations that resulted in the New South Wales Trotting Club being given a tighter grip on trotting control in the State. The club shortly afterward pressed for the authority to hold night meetings. World War II intervened, and it was not until 1948 that the club was finally permitted to race at night. The last day meeting at Harold Park was held on December 18, 1948. The prize-money for the seven-race programme amounted to £655. The club closed the ground, reconstructed it, and held its first night meeting on October 1. 1949, beginning with the minimum prize-money of £3500 a meeting. From then there was no looking back.

Stakes given last season tor the club’s 40 meetings at Harold Park totalled £200,000, and this figure will be eclipsed this term. Three carnivals, each with a £5OOO cup and a £2500 handicap, are run off each year. Stakes for other feature races are generally about £lOOO, while this year the club raised by 100 per cent, the prize-moneys for the Derby and Sapling Stakes to £3OOO and £2OOO respectively. Throughout the year the club gives no stake under £5OO. Attendances Rising Attendances last season averaged 18,559. For the first 18 meetings this season the attendances are up 40,000 on last season’s figures. According 'to officials the attendances would immediately increase by 10,000 if the accommodation and facilities could be provided. The largest crowd ever to assemble at Harold Park Raceway was one of 38,090, which watched the grand final of the Inter-Dominion Championship series in 1952, but from all reports there was not room enough in which to cough on that occasion. *

There is little parking room for vehicles at or hear the course, and the only vehicles accommodated by the club are the cars of members and officials, and the floats of owners and trainers.

The quarter term just ended has been the best financially in the history of the club; and plans are well in hand for the erection at the raceway of a huge grandstand on which the club Is prepared to spend £250,000.

Spectacular Racing The track itself is very sandy, but constant watering and rolling keep it in perfect order for fast racing. In circumference it is 80 yards short of half a mile, lending itself to spectacular racing. In the opinion of the club’s ground staff and officials a horse one out from the rails on this track covers 12 yards more than a horse on the rails for each lap covered. It is not unusual to see the pace quicken many times during the running of an event, as horses vie for the best positions. Thirty-minute intervals between

races help to maintain an exciting atmosphere, at Harold Park meetings, and the closely-packed crowd and colourful bookmakers help to make an evening at the trots a memorable otiting for a visitor. To qualify for a maiden race at Harold Park Raceway a horse has to win at least two races at country meetings. If, when produced at Harold Park, a horse is considered below standard, the connexions are immediately told not to nominate the horse for further events at the raceway until it has produced improved form at smaller fixtures.

Stipendiary control at all trotting meetings in New South Wales is stern, but at Harold Park Raceway it is rigid. Once the horses arrive at the course for the meeting, they are wired off in an enclosure called the birdcage. If owners, trainers, or attendants are found making contact through the birdcage fencing with outside persons, they are liable to a fine of £5. Tickets are issued which admit the connexions of horses to the official enclosure for 20 minutes—lo minutes before and 10 minutes after their candidate’s race. Horse Stalls Patrolled About 80 horse stalls are enclosed in the birdcage, and under the supervision of the birdcage steward a staff of 14 patrols this enclosure. Before each race a check is taken of all attendants. If a horse is found to be doped, officials can tell from this check if the horse has been attended throughout the evening. Trainers are compelled to register the lengths of hopples for every horse they produce at the raceway. From time to time the stewards check hopple lengths, and if there is a variation the trainer is liable to be severely penalised. Every driver is weighed before each race, and the drivers of the first four horses in every event are reweighed after returning to scale. If there is any unaccountable variation, the horse in question is disqualified. The club has a standing offer of £lOOO for every horse which can record better than two' minutes for a mile in a trial against time at the raceway. Thsse trials arouse tremendous excitement amongst the public. An ingenious idea, which has been put into practice for recent attempts against time, has greatly heightened the enthusiasm of the spectators. Clusters of four blue lights have been installed around the track in positions two furlongs apart After the start of a time trial the blue lights are flashed on, one by one, at intervals of 30sec. If the horse 'finishes his mile before the last blue light is flashed on, the public knows immediately that he has broken two minutes.

Beat Lights All the Way When Ribands recorded Imin 58.7 sec for a mile against time last year, he beat the blue lights at every quartermile. When Krakatoa was sent against the track trotting record of 2min Bsec, also last year, the lights were flashed on at intervals of 32 seconds. He beat the final light by 2sec to record 2min 6sec.

Viewed in daytime, the raceway is an active scene. The inside of the track serves as a children’s playground, while in the busy season about 150 horses are trained on the track. Many of the leading trainers are established handy to the raceway, and their horses, like the gallopers near Randwick, have for homes small stalls.

The club’s 1955 three-night summer carnival, which will end today, is proving outstandingly successful, even though the club’s committee made a serious mistake in framing the programme. A record of £21,000 in stakes was offered for the carnival, and although some of the most promising young horses which raced last year were excluded through the committee’s mistake, the club has no fedrs about the financial result.

Uncle Joe, winner of the free-for-all event last Saturday, an odds-on favourite for the Summer Cup to be run this evening, is, in Riband’s absence, Australia’s champion pacer; and there are many who believe he is superior to Ribands. The pair have met six times and Uncle Joe holds the honours, four races to two. Uncle Joe is a much safer beginner than Ribands. New Zealand horses are now almost in the majority at Harold Park meetings and a good many of them are proving worthy representatives of the Dominion. Most impressive at the Christmas and New Year meetings were Young Wexford, Pleasant News. Powerful Lady, Victory Dale, and Brucus.

The New South Wales Trotting Club also holds 12 day meetings a year on a course at Menangle, 38 miles from Sydney. This track is soon to be equipped for night meetings. In all, 13 New South Wales clubs hold night meetings and 30 hold day fixtures. Country clubs are each allotted 12 dates a season, and because Newcastle is a city, its trotting club is allotted 20 dates. Last term several thousand trotting races were decided in the State, compared with less than 1000 in New Zealand.

PROSPECTS FOR TODAY TARANAKI CLUB "The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND, January 21. The Taranaki Trotting Club’s meeting will be opened tomorrow with good fields. The double will be run on the Taranaki Trotting Cup and the Omata Handicap. Selections are:—

11.2 a.m.—Waitara Handicap: Rangi’s Pride, Mirando, Denny Dillon.

11.47 a.m.—Fitzroy Handicap: First division—Daniel’s Pride, Come Again, Loch Awe. Second division: Karren’s Jewel, Mary Light, Springfield Grattan. 12.30 p.m.—Urenui Handicap: Native Power, Harr Sterling, Social Justice. 1.15 p.m.—Taranaki Cup: Sovereign Boy, Royal Arrow, Electric Ring. 2.2 p.m,—lnglewood Handicap: Denny Dillon, Rangi’s Pride, Vemaccia. 2.47 p.m.—Omata Handicap: Native Power, Harr Sterling, Prince Findon.

3.32 p.m.—Moturoa Handicap: First division—City Light, Golden June, Loch Awe. Second division: Paritutu, Highland Gold, Karren’s Jewel.

4.17 p.m.—Stewards’ Handicap: Sovereign Boy, Royal Arrow, Electric Ring.

MARLBOROUGH CLUB ■ The double at the Marlborough Trotting Pj¥ b 8 B t. Waterlea racecourse today wIU be on the Marlborough Trotting Club Handicap and the H. E. Fuller Handicap. The forecast is for fine weather and the trade should be in good order. Selections are:—

11 a.m.—W. J. Marten Handicap: Jocoly, Kauru Boy, Overdale Lad.

zag£ IXTw ild£ ow * Han<UcB p ;

12JO p.m.—E. A. Weld Handicap: Dinnie Daley, Bobby Brigade, Blacksmith. 1-25 P-m—Marlborough Handicap: Nadine, Pennyfare, Zulu’s Pride. w 2 ' l ® A s - Barnes Handicap: Kauru Boy, Jacinta, Lancewood. 3.5 p.m.— H. L. Fuller Handicap: Bobby Brigade, Spotlight, Dinnie Daley, 3.55 P-m.—Al G. Bailey Handicap: Ponty, Floreate, Lauder Lady. P 4- 80 P-m.—Sir John McKenzie Handicap; True Friend, Flywheel, Red Hackle.