Mobile Barrier Opposed

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32020, 21 June 1969, Page 6

Mobile Barrier Opposed

A decision to oppose further use of mobile barriers In New Zealand was carried by a large majority at a special general meeting of the Canterbury Trotting Owners* and Breeders' Association in Christchurch last evening.

The decision resulted from a motion put forward by H. B. Kaye and seconded by the Belfast trainer. C. S. Donald.

Mr Kaye said that under the present system of ballots and elimination mobile starts proved a disadvantage to owners by restricting the number of starters in a race.

Mr J. D. Litton moved that the use of the gate be restricted to races for open class horses only, but this amendment was lost on a show of hands.

Mr D. J. Townley, speaking for the Mid-Canterbury branch of the association, said the mobile barrier was Introduced to Now Zealand in dubious guise. Ho said some clubs claimed It would give betters a fairer deal by assuring that all horses started off in a race with an equal chance. In fact this theory did not work out. Mr Townley said that some clubs maintained the mobile barrier was the modern trend and spectacular, but most claimed it was only a gimmick to attract crowds to their raceways.

Many New Zealand tracks were unsuitable for the mobile barrier, he said. In many instances undulating surfaces caused the gate to waver and on most tracks the starting points were unsuitable—either being soon after negotiating a bend or approaching a bend. This placed the horses drawn near the outside at an unfair disadvantage. When a second line was used, which was the custom in New Zealand, horses drawing an outside position on the front were further penalised by the fact that unless they had extreme speed they could not obtain a reasonable position, he said.

Mr Townley said that starting by means of the mobile barrier had often been shocking to the public—both as betters and as spectators—for often horses had been left behind giving no chance for the punter to collect. Usually horses in mobile start races tired sooner than those competing from standing starts, said Mr Townley. Many horses, which would have given a good account of themselves In a standingstart event were done many furlongs from home when started behind the mobile gate.

It was not even possible at some meetings to know what type of start would be used r said Mr Townley. Off-course betters could easily be trapped by weather conditions. If the track became heavy, the gate could not be used. The same could apply in fog, as at a recent meeting at Addington.