RACING CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 251, 17 July 1920, Page 8

RACING CONFERENCE CONCLUDES

IMPROVING THE LOT OP APPRENTICES. The annual conference of New Zealand racing clubs concluded its deliberations yesterday. The president (Sir George Clifford) occupied the chair. The following rulo was substituted for Rule 3, part 21, on the motion of the president: "Any owner who has never received payment for training or riding a horse may train his own horse without a trainer's license, provided such horse is trained under his personal superintendence and that he lias obtained from the District Committee written permission to train such horse; and, further, that no trainer or an' owner (who has obtained written permission from the District Committee to train his own hois?) shall, without the previous consent in writing of the District Committee, employ any jierson whoso last application for a license to train or ride has been refused by any District Committee; such consent may at any time be withdrawn by the District Committee.

A number of requests from tile jockeys and from various clubs were considered relative to a betterment in the general conditions of apprentices. Rules were amended malting it no longer possiblo for apprentioes' to be apprenticed for more than four yearswithout their full consent first being obtained to any extension; and, further, in order to protect the lads from unscrupulous trainers it was resolved that "after a lad shall, have been apprenticed for his full term the right of the employer to retain one-half of his fees shall terminate." Provision was also made ensuring that in future all apprenticeships shall be subject to revision by the president and may bo cancelled at his option. At tlio instance of the Wangatiui Jockey Club tho conference adopted safeguards in order to ensure apprentices, on proof of ill-usage or neglect, securing redress and, if necessary, release from their obligations. A proposal that horses threo years old and over reported as vicious or unruly at tho starting post by a stipendiary steward to the District Committee may be debarred by them from entry during their pleasure, was lost by a narrow margin. In opposition to tho motion it was -Minted out that there was already sufficient scope for coping with vicious horses by putting them in the "rear of the field." This had proved a very healthy corrective. A largo number of machinery clauses in the Utiles of Pacing were also revised.