TROTTING Wellington Ruled As “Overseas”

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29896, 9 August 1962, Page 4

TROTTING Wellington Ruled As “Overseas”

Although the Americanbred stallion, Chief Rainbow, had been in New Zealand since early in March, he did not exist, as far as the New Zeeland Trotting Conference was concerned, until he made a trip from Lyttelton to Wellington and return on an inter-island ferry early in June.

According to the August 1 issue of the “New Zealand Trotting Calendar,” Chief Rainbow was registered on May 22, 1952, for stud purposes only. Chief Rainbow, a 10-year-old stallion by True Chief from Billy Girl, is owned by Mr M. Tananbaum, of New York, president of Yonkers Raceway. He arrived in New Zealand in March and went to the Oamaru property of Mr A. F.. Easton, who holds him on lease.

Rule 123 (1) of the Rules of Trotting, which covers the registration of foreign horses, says: “No horse of the age of two years or over imported into New Zealand shall be registered under these rules unless application for such registration is made to the secretary of the conference within one month after the date of its arrival in New Zealand. . . .” Other sections of rule 123 set out the particulars required when application for registration of a foreign horse is made.

No application for the registration of Chief Rainbow was made within one month of his arrival in this country. Later, it was found that there was no way of complying with rule 123 without sending the horse out of the country. It was considered for a time that the horse would have to shipped to Australia, where he could probably land and be registered as a foreign horse. After Chief Rainbow had been shipped from Lyttelton to Wellington on an interisland ferry and returned to Lyttelton without being taken off the ship, the conference recognised that the horse had “re-entered” New Zealand and so met the requirements of rule 123.

Chief Rainbow was shipped from Lyttelton to Wel-

linglon and return early in June, about a fortnight after May 22, the date on which the conference registered the stallion. Chief Rainbow's “overseas” trip nearly had a disastrous result. He caught colic and got down in the ship. He was considered unlikely to recover when unloaded at Lyttelton and was taken to J. D. Litten’s property at West Melton. However, he gradually improved and some time later was returned to Mr Easton's property at Oamaru. Neither Mr Easton, nor Mr C. L. Rhodes, of Christchurch, who is Mr Tananbaum's New Zealand representative, would discuss the registration of Chief Rainbow when approached by “The Press.” I The secretary of the con-, ference (Mr J. Rowley) also declined to comment.

Gentry And Whipdale

Gentry and Whipdale are booked to leave Auckland on Sunday on their way to Christchurch, where they will fulfil engagements at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club's national meeting ait Addington on August 18 and 25. Both horses are owned by Mr H. S. Barry, of Auckland, for whom they are trained at Mangere by P. Stewart. No driver has yet been announced for either horse.

Starting Gate Available

The starting gate, which will be used for three races on each day of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s national meeting on August 18 and 25. will be available to trainers after trials at Addington today about 3 p.m. The gate will also be available for practice at Addington next Tuesday morning from 9.30 am. until 11.30 a.m.