TROTTING Nine-Race Programmes Opposed By Racing

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29872, 12 July 1962, Page 4

TROTTING Nine-Race Programmes Opposed By Racing

”Tk« Pre**” gpecifll Service

WANGANUI, July 11.

Because a proposal to allow nine-race programmes to be run had not appealed to the New Zealand Racing Conference, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr Gotz) had not had legislation amended, said the president (Mr W. H. Roche) in his address to the annual meeting of the New Zealand Trotting Conference in Wanganui today.

After the Minister had heard representations from the conference about additional permits, he had indicated that he was not prepared to recommend to the Cabinet the allocation of extra days, but he had been prepared to recommend that the existing legislation, which allowed for eight totalisator races, be amended to cater for nine races, the additional race to be tor maiden or improver classes.

The executive had considered that proposal, said Mr Roche, and had. decided to accept it, particularly as it would not have been mandatory that a club had to conduct nine totaliaator races. It had been felt that it had been a generous concession and would not have prevented the conference applying for an additional permit at a later date. In its submissions to the Minister last September, the conference had pointed but that the executive, after careful consideration, had reached the conclusion that In order to maintain and preserve the present development of trotting, at least 14 additional permits were essential. It had been pointed out to the Minister that trotting was rapidly expanding. The majority of problems facing trotting could, as had been proved in the past, be resolved only by the allocation of extra permita. In the past the allocation of permits had been linked with the growth of trotting, added Mr Roche. In 1890-91 trotting had 21 permits, but a season later thia had been increased to 44. Between 1893 and 1923 trotting had 39 permita, this figure having been increased to 78 in 1924. After the Royal Commission on Gaming, trotting had its permits increased to 99 in 1950. Then in 1953 that had been increased to 117, and two years later to 121. The progress of trotting in the last decade had been outstanding,, said Mr Roche. Stakes paid during the 194950 season had been £474,971, and for the 1954-55 season £496,082. A further Increase had been shown during the 1960-61 season, to £502,613. Betting On-course totalisator betting in 1949-50 had been £7,678,180. while in 1954-55 the total had been £6,916,319. and in 1960-81 it had reached

£7,322.258 Off-course betting in 1954-55 had been £3,448,796, and in 1960-61 the total had been £6.308,471. It was worthy of note that the increase in stakes had been made in spite of the fact that about £lB.OOO had been lost to owners through the deletion of trotting races from galloping clubs’ programmes. While there had been 22 permits granted since 1950, 97 trotting races had been deleted from galloping programmes. That had been the equivalent of 12 days of racing. It had also been submitted that the excessive number of horses in relation to the races available was the result of the loss of the regular distribution of permits, which had been made from 1960 to 1955.

The full development of night trotting throughout New Zealand was dependant

upon the issue of more permits. continued Mr Roche.

Only additional permits would assist the breeding industry, which had developed a substantial exeport trade with Australia. During ths 1960-61 season 190 horses had been exported to Australia. The tremendous potential of an American market had been shown when False Step, which had been bred and which was owned in New Zealand, had been sold for 118,000 dollars, the fifth highest price paid anywhere for • pacing horse. 73ie final submission to the Minister, said Mr Roche, had been that the utilmate benefit of the granting of additional permits would be shared by clubs, owners, trainers and breeder*, and that extra permits were needed to maintain the financial stability of all concerned.