MORE DIFFICULTIES FOR NIGHT TROTTING

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28660, 9 August 1958, Page 6

MORE DIFFICULTIES FOR NIGHT TROTTING

The Auckland Trotting Club will have many new difficulties to overcome as a resul| of the announcement on ? Thursday by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Anderton) that it would be Government policy to confine night trotting, to Saturdays and holidays, and that additional licences for night -trotting meetings would not be granted. . This means / that the Auckland club will be able to use only its present 11 day permits for night meetings. At present# two meetings are run in September, two in October, three in December, two in February and two in May. Night trotting can be run satisfactorily only in the summer and early autumn Unless the Government-changes its policy, it will be impossible for the Auckland club to have more than five nights of trotting this season. The first meeting is planned for December 31, when the day permit for the third day of the Auckland Cup meeting will be used. The club has only four othQr permits available this season. Two would normally be used for the club’s February meeting, and the other two for the winter meeting in May. May Permits

Should the club decide to use the May permits for night meetings, it is probable that they would be used earlier in the year. Such action would be unlikely to find favour with owners and trainers in the Auckland district. The Auckland club is the ohly one outside Wellington in the North Island to cater for reasonably fast-class horses. The season in the north is short enough now, most owner and trainers claiming that there are insufficient opportunities for their .horses.

If the May permits are to be used earlier in the year, it would be possible for clubs such as Waikato and Franklin to provide racing for better-class Hbrses, but they would find it difficult to maintain stakes sufficiently- high for more than an occasional race. If the Auckland club receives no further permits, it is unlikely in the meantime that it woulduse all its present day permits for night meetings spread over about five months. In this case, it appears doubtful whether the expenditure of from £40.000 to £50,000 to light the track and surroundings and provide additional facilities for the public would be justified. The club, along with the New Zealand Trotting Conference, will now have to approach the Minister to convince him that it is essential that some extra permits be granted for night trotting. It seems that the Minister will take a lot of convincing.

The Government’s policy to restrict night meetings to Saturdays and holidays will also restrict the Auckland club. The club has not yet announced its policy on the‘nights on which it had been planned 'to hold meetings. but it is understood that it was intended to hold one or two ’meetings on mid-week nights. East Dome Amiss

East Dome has • been showing signs of soreness and is having a short let-up. East Dome graduated to a 4min 26sec mark for two miles when, trained by P. M. Tapper at Gore, and he requires two wins over a distance to graduate to New Zealand Cup class. ,

Early Foal One of the first foals reported this season is a colt by Flying Song from Acclamation. He was foaled at Mr L. M. property at Yaldhurst last Saturday morning. Acclamation, one of the best trotting mares of her time, is to return to Flying Song.

Ineligible Eight of the 23 horses nominated for .£900 Canterbury Challenge Stakes on the second day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's national meeting on August 23 will be unable to start as they have not yet passed the qualifying test for maiden pacers. They are Siboney, Space King, Florita, Young Dieman, Awarua, Katanga, Middlequist and Wendy Charles.- Several of these horses failed in their attempts to qualify at trials on Thursday. Amberley Meeting The Amberley Trotting Club will hold its first non-totalisator meeting on Saturday, September 13. The programme will include a race for maiden pacers with a stake of £P7S, of which £l5O has been given by the three / Christchurch trotting clubs. Other races on the programme will include a tight-class free-for-all,' a qualifying test race, a two-year-old parade, an event for maiden trotters and races for horses assessed at 3min 33sec and 3min 27sec for one mile and a half

The club intends to operate a 5s equalisatpr. Promising Pacer v The Templeton trainer, • C. C. Devine, produced a likely type of maiden pacer in Young Dieman in the qualifying test race at the trials on Thursday. He was very slow early and lost a big stretch of ground. Once properly balanced he showed plenty of speed and put in a long run to finish a close third. However, there was little pace on early apd none of the placegetters in this heat qualified. Young Dieman is a three-year-old gelding by Van Dieman from Mala, the dam also of Malabella. He should not be long in qualifying and he looks as ’though he will develop fine winning form for his breeder, Mr N. Matyasevic. 1959 NATIONAL THOROUGHBRED YEARLING SALES. TRENTHAM, WELLINGTON, JANUARY 16 21. (Parades isth and 20th: Racing and Breeding Stock Sale, 23rd; W.R.C. Meeting. 17th. 19th and 24th) ENTRIES now , being received. Entry forms posted on application CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: FRIDAY, AUGUST 15. Address to: WRIGHT. STEPHEINSON and COLTD., Bloodstock Dept., Box 1895, Wellington, or through any Branch, 1 ° r PYNE, GOULD, GUINNESS LTD., Box 112, Christchurch, or to any Branch. • JOINT AUCTIONEERS. .2846 NEW ZEALAND METROPOLITAN TROTTING CLUB, INC. WITHDRAWALS for all events on the first day of the above Club’s National Meeting, to be held on the 16th August, must be received by 4 p.m. on Monday next. August 11. D. C, PARKER, Secretary. —Advt