'More thought needed'

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33938, 3 September 1975, Page 8

'More thought needed'

Instead of following a pattern that has existed for years racing clubs should put more thought into framing, programmes and cater for horses in their individual classes. This was one of the subjects discussed at the annual meeting of the Can-terbury-Westland Owners and Trainers’ Association on Monday evening. The association’s president (Mr Ross Simpson) said there was too much overlapping of classes and this applied particularly to class-three horses. He cited the North Canterbury Racing Club’s programme as an example. “There are three middledistance races on that programme in which class-three horses are eligible to run and the class-three sprinters are catered for as well,” he said. NOTHING CHANGED “Although the Racing Conference introduced individual classes two years ago ago clubs continue to frame programmes with races for classes one, two and three; three four and five; and four, five and maidens, so nothing has really changed,” he said. “Even if only one-third of the horses in each class were available for racing at

any one time there would still be enough to fill any programme,” he said. Mr Simpson said that figures supplied by the conference to racing club secretaries of the horses in the South Island in the individual classes at the end of last season were: class one (102), class two (58), class three (125), class four (140), and class five (250). Maidens, .of which there are probably hundreds, were not listed. “Clubs should also take into account meetings immediately beforehand when framing programmes,” he said. “You often find a trainer gets a stayer up to peak and he wins and then there are no further races over a distance for him in the next month.” In an endeavour to have some changes made to the framing of programmes the association proposed that an approach be made through the district committee. APPRENTICES The shortage of apprentices at Riccarton was also discussed. Because of the new ruling that all apprentices ’must now have at least two years secondary education, it was suggested that the best way to encourage more youths into racing might be by the distribution of a brochure through the vocational guidance organisations, setting out the advantages of a career in racing. It was proposed to take the matter up with the conference and the New Zealand Racing Authority. Officers elected, with the exception of the West Coast delegate, Who has yet to be named, are: president, Mr R. N. Simpson; vice-president, S. L. Spiers; committee, Messrs K. W. Quayle, D. J. Thistoil, J. F. Waterworth, V. H. Harris, F. Blogg, G. Baker, V. Jack, J. D. Gregan, and O. F. S. Martini.