Maideners proving real problem

Press, 24 September 1980, Page 27

Maideners proving real problem

By

G. K. YULE

The frustrations associated with racing maiden pacers and trotters are coming to the fore once more in Canterbury. No matter what action is taken by clubs to try to cater for horses eliminated at other meetings, it is impossible for them to appear to be fair.

In an endeavour to overcome some of the problems, the Banks Peninsula Club, which is. to hold its spring meeting on October 4, ran a series of elimination heats at Motukarara on Monday. While there are valid criticisms of the actions of the club in running elimination heats on the grounds of cost and the fact that some horses had had hard races at Methven two ; days earlier, the three fields to race at Motukarara on October 4 will comprise horses which have at least proved that they are in racing condition. The club received more than 160 entries for the three races, only 45 horses being.able to start. Quite a sizeable proportion of trainers decided against contesting the heats and there were 52 scratchings. Only a few were unlucky in the running of the 15 heats run on the allweather track, but most fields were on the small side because of scratchings and it was rare indeed for the second line to be used. The Ashburton Club, which races this week, received more than 120 entries for its two races for maiden pacers, only 34 of which will be able to start. A surprisingly large number of horses to have raced at Methven last Saturday have been included in the two Ashburton fields. Certainly, many of them were placed or finished close up at Methven and are neces-

sary as sound betting mediums at Ashburton.

Entries for the Canterbury Park meeting, where there will be a race for maiden pacers on both October 1 and October 8, reached more than 70 for the event, for probationary drivers, and more than 90 on. the other night.

Similar formidable entries are expected at all meetings catering for maiden horses, with the totals expected to be more in keeping with those associated with summer and autumn fixtures in past seasons. The Trotting Conference is well aware of the situation, which is not only common to Canterbury, but to the Auckland and Southland areas as well. Like other interested parties, the conference has been unable tc come uo with a solution which will satisfy everyone. It has advised clubs that they must take recent race and approved trials form into account when compiling fields, asserting that action will be taken against those which fail to take such action.

Others have suggested a tightening of qualifying times, or various types of trials, ...

These have all been investigated. Some might provide a temporary answer, but after a few months a return to the current situation is almost certain. Perhaps sterner action could be taken against

horses which perform badly in races or at recognised trials. Horses could be stood down from totalisator meetings for a set period and be required to perform two or three times to the satisfaction of the stipendiary stewards before being entitled tc be nominated for races. Such action could well have been taken against some of the horses which contested the - elimination heats at. Motukarara on Monday, While the average winning time in the heats for pacers was about 3min 20s for 2400 m from a standing start, there were 'some horses which handled themselves poorly and would not have recorded times within 20s of the average. Those horses are no doubt nominated for immediate racing and some will probably secure a start, with little likelihood of getting near the place-getters.

With an increase of some 10 per cent in the number of mares being bred from each season, and a greater number of qualifying trials being run each month than ever before, it is obvious that the pool of maiden pacers will reach record proportions for the whole of the season and owners and trainers are likely to be fortunate to secure more than an occasional start, probably many weeks apart.

Banishment from the scene of some consistently poor performers might help a little towards easing the situation. -