The ‘Met’ considers report on trotting

Press, 2 May 1981, Page 24

The ‘Met’ considers report on trotting

Apart from a few reservations and suggested amendments, the committee and stewards of the Met politan Trotting Club have accepted the conclusions reached in a paper, “harness racing—its future.” Members of the committee and stewards held a special met Ing earlier in t J .reek to consider the paper, which resulted from deliberations of 11 persons who met in Christchurch early in March to discuss common problems and the possible direction trotting might take in the next decade. The paper has aroused considerable discuss:s. in all sect.rs of the industry, as well as in the ranks of the executive of the Trotting Conference, who earlier in the week announced a proposed remit to reduce the size of the executive. The Metropolitan club’s meeting felt there should be no reduction in the size of dub committees. Members •of {heir committee v -re required to attend 15 race meetings ana to take c r'in their own time ‘he ad ditional work of promotion. The situation varied from

club to club so that where seven might be a suitable size for some clubs, it could be impractical for others.. It was felt that professional licence holders should be eligible to be members of club committees. The formation of a remit sub-committee to bring forward recommendations to the annual meting of the conference was supported. T '.e present method of voting by clubs at annual meetings of the conference was considered > A full investigation of system of voting was suggc ted, and a special meeting of e conference to consider representations on the subject was indicated. The meeting considered that the Metropolitan club provided adequate racing opportunities for two and three-year-olds, and felt that the interests of two-year-olds were not best s— cd by mobile starts over one mile. The continuation of subsidies for class racing was considered necessary, but subsidies for age group races should be rationalised

with regard to classic race'' and minor classic events. Other decisions at the meeting included: approval of any attempts, to upgrade the breeding industry; the establishment of a national stud; support for the surveillance of studs. The meeting welcomed efforts to re-’.r.e travelling costs of the conference; felt that any reduction in the number of members of the executive would be better introdu-ed by them; the dates s -ucture should be the responsibility of oe conference and the allocation of new dates : .ould be m-.de by f.e Racing Authority on the recommendation of the conference; that clashes of trotting meetings might be allowed where clubs were racing about 100 miles apart. While approving the idea of regional secretarial centres, it was felt that this was not necessary in the Christchurch area; arid that opinions expressed about the lower North Island being regarded as a special area should be the subject of special consideration by the persons concerned.