MORE PERMITS URGED

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32031, 4 July 1969, Page 5

MORE PERMITS URGED

Th* need for extra permits to be made available for trotting meetings in the coming season "is a matter which Is no longer merely affecting the sport of trotting, but the New Zealand economy as a whole." The new president of the Trotting Conference (Mr B. J. Rolfe, of Thames) said this yesterday. Mr Bolfe, who sees the possibility of extra dates being granted, said the Government must be very conscious of the overseas markets and the exchange benefits associated with trotting.

Mr Rolfe will be installed as president at the annual meeting of the Conference at Rotorua next Tuesday. Elected unopposed. he succeeds Mr A. J. Nicoll. of Ashburton.

Mr Rolfe said he hoped to see day racing through the winter, possibly by maidens or improving class horses, a move which would help to provide • glamour” horses for the summer meetings. He advocates an increase in the number of races for fillies, to give breeders greater opportunity to make and race broodmares of the future.

He maintains that the ‘‘horse drain” overseas is not as serious as some people imagine, and that it should be used to the benefit of the sport in New Zealand.

“NAME” HORSES If racing were changed so as to bring young, “name” horses through the classes more quickly, the result would be advantageous to both the sport and the country, Mr Rolfe said. “It is very important that we encourage relations with other countries so far as trotting is concerned. Our horses have proved that they can hold their own anywhere. “Powerful interests are considering starting trotting in Singapore and will be looking to Australia and New Zealand for horses,” Mr Rolfe said. It was obvious from foaling returns, he said, that local breeding was going ahead “in leaps and bounds.” Mr Rolfe sees trotting in this country “as a team sport on a grand scale.” “My ambition as president,” he said, “is to work with all sections of that team to present an even closer-knit organisation in the future.” “There are thousands of people involved in trotting. The public is entitled to amenities and the owners are entitled to stakes. But without each and every one of our supporters, there wouldn’t be any trotting.” LONG SERVICE Mr Rolfe, a member of the Thames Trotting Club since 1938, has worked his way through offices of the sport to arrive at his position of President. For 12 years he was president of the Thames club and has been a member of the conference executive for 18 years. When the office of North Island vice-president was created, he was elected to the position. He took a leading role in the

centralisation of the Thames club on Alexandra Park, Auckland, and, believes that the move has been “most successful.” His home club now has more members than ever before.

However. Mr Rolfe is not a believer in wholesale centralisation —only when such a move would be beneficial.

For example, he said, there were places in New Zealand where clubs with courses a few miles apart would be better to improve their stakes than to put too much money into duplicating on-course facilities. HANDICAPPING

On the question of handicapping. Mr Rolfe said he saw minor improvements in New Zealand, possibly in the field of younger horses. But on the whole, he said, there was nothing wrong with the present system.

The handicapping system was obviously effective when winnings in excess of 8100,000 by horses like Lordship and Cardigan Bay were considered.

Mr Rolfe said that although, this country had been criticised about handicapping, he had found on a recent visit to Australia that problems there I

i, I would probably lead to the in--1 production of a one-line handi--1 capping system similar to New ? I Zealand’s.