Maiden ranks 'overflowing’

Press, 6 July 1977, Page 28

Maiden ranks 'overflowing’

[ The number of horses to have -qualified during the season have -brought the maiden ranks to “an overflowing state," reported the (chief stipendiary steward (Mr L. A. Butterfield) to the annual [meeting of the Trotting Conference in Christchurch yesterday. •In spite of the tightening of qualifying times throughout the country 674 pacers and 131 trotters passed the test to make a total of 805 horses eligible for totalisator meetings,” says the report.

The most pressing problem facing trotting was its high horse population with the emphasis on events for maiden and slow classes. "There appears to be no Indication of anybody in authority finding a real solution to this problem.” The increase in the number of races for two. three and four-vear-olds is also mentioned in the report. Few of the horses to stand out early in the season !have proved capable of maintain-

ing form until the end of the year. The top young horses had drawn the attention oi overseas buyers. "Thus the future of our top horses is slowly lessening,” said Mr Butterfield. Exports of horses to North America totalled 290 at May 16, compared with 215 for the whole of the previous year. A further 569 horses were exported to Australia, compared with 645. The number of fines imposed by stipendiary stewards increased during the year, but suspensions declined. "Generally I feel that penalties are tending to become too light and that in some cases fines should be replaced by suspensions, and the lighter suspensions should be increased. “In making this comment I appreciate that every offence must be judged on its merit, but it would be unrealistic to say that this principle has been applied equally throughout the country,” he said.