Minimum Weight Raised To 7.4

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31730, 13 July 1968, Page 7

Minimum Weight Raised To 7.4

tTrom Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. "With th, welfare state and all that kind of thing, our boys these davs are too well fedthank God,” said Dr A. McGregor Grant, of Auckland, at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Racing Conference in Wellington yesterday. Dr Grant was speaking In support of a remit from the executive committee, which sought, successfully, to raise the minimum weight from 7at to 7st 41b. Dr Grant, who was a successful amateur rider for several vears and has been an owner for over 40 years, said owners were in effect handicapping their own horses when they failed to find jockeys able to ride horses near or on the minimum at the correct weight. Mr F. C. Johnstone (Waikato Racing Club), said he had been able to find Ove jockeys able to rid, at 7st in New Zealand. There were 11 able to ride at between 7st and 7st 41b. Of the horses on the minimum tn the last New Zealand Cup, only four carried their correct weight and three of them were ridden by apprentices. In tbe 19M New Zealand Cup only one horse on tbe minimum bad carried its correct weight and tt had been ridden by an apprentice. Some of the lightweights had carried up to 3}lb over-weight. "We might as well be realistic and lift the minimum to 7xl 41b.” Mr Johnston said. Of 14 lads at the last apprentice school at Hastings, only two could ride at 7st, said Mr W. R. Stead (Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club). Mr D. W. J. Gould (Canterburv Jockey Club) said that when the conference had lifted the minimum to 7st 71b several years ago. he did not like the idea of weight going on to good horses. Since then, though he felt there had been changes in the system of handicapping, handicappers were less inclined to put up excessive weights on horses at the top of the handicap. Because that was so. he was now in support of a higher minimum. The president, Mr R. A. Whyte, said that the Jockeys' Association was anxious to see the remit passed. Mr J. E. Brunton (Dunedin Jockay Club) said he could see

no -necessity for a change because it was optional whether a club had 7st or something higher for a minimum for its races. What weight was most suitable as a minimum could be determined by local situations and what suited one club might not suit another. Asked to give some information about weights in countries overseas, Mr G. Tucker, Keeper of the Stud Book, said that in ordinary races in the United States, the minimum was Bst while in stakes races it was about 7st 91b. Mr Johnstone said that for many handicap races in Australia the minimum was 7st 51b.