Racing Control

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30678, 18 February 1965, Page 12

Racing Control

Sir,—Aloof in its ivory tower, the executive of the Racing Conference, by its recent banishment of all trotting races from racing club programmes, has chosen to usurp the prerogative of district committees. The rules of racing direct that the approval of clubs’ programmes shall be decided by district committees, the assumption being that they are best able to decide what is best for their own particular areas. The removal of 47 trotting races is a drastic step. It will be interesting to see if the racing executive will find those attending the annual conference in July submissive enough to confirm their intrusion. Racing in the South Island is sick. The removal of trots from South Island racing programmes will not help the patient. Inevitably it will be the public alone who will decide whether the.patient is worth reviving.—Yours, etc., TROT OR CANTER? February 9, 1965.

Sir,—Recently some ' country clubs were advised by the Racing Conference that they should amalgamate with another club in their area. These clubs have notified the

conference of their reluctance to do so. Now they have the ultimatum, that two trots are to be deleted from their programmes. In its wisdom, the conference is striking a blow not only at the non-conform-ing amalgamators but also at their fellow clubs, especially on the West Coast. It is hard enough to fill six gallops, let alone eight. Recently the conference allotted 12 new permits, one to the South Island, 11 to the North Island. There are 14 racing permits on the Coast. If the ban is really enforced, in 12 months there will be 14 more permits to the North Island.—Yours, etc., WEST COASTER. February 10, 1965. [The secretary of the New Zealand Racing Conference (Mr A. M. Mcßeath) had no comment to make.]