BRITISH SEASON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29468, 21 March 1961, Page 4

BRITISH SEASON

Flat Racing Regins

(N.Z.P.A -Reuter—Copyright) LONDON. March 20.

A “new look’’ British flatracing season will open today with the first meeeting, by tradition, at Lincoln.

Winter racing in Britain is confined to that under National Hunt rules—steeplechasing and hurdling—from mid-November to mid-March. The new flat-racing season is notable for two revolutionary developments—the adoption of overnight declarations by trainers, effective immediately, and the opening of legal offcourse betting shops, in May. For many years, the Jockey Club has been under pressure to follow the example of other nations, and order trainers to declare their runners and riders on the morning of the day before the meeting. This system now has been adopted. In the past, trainers could, if they wished, leave it until within an hour of the race before giving official notice that a horse would or would not run. Not Included Quite often, horses not included in the lists of probable runners published in the morning newspapers have turned up at a meeting and won—much to the annoyance of stay-at-home punters. Now. in addition to having to say a day in advance that a horse will run. trainers will face a heavy fine if a horse is scratched without a satisfactory explanation to the stewards. The betting shops, opening in May. will legalise cash wagers which at present are forbidden except on a racecourse or by post to branch offices of bookmakers in Scotland. Whether this will mean an increase in betting remains to be seen, for street bookmakers have flourished in most cities in spite of the law. Credit accounts with bookmakers are already legal. Punters can telephone or wire their bets to the bookmaker with whom they have an account. The first big race of the season is the one-mile Lincolnshire Handicap on Wednesday. The Grand National, held during a combined flat racing and steeplechase meeting at Aintree. Liverpool, will be run next Saturday.