THE RACING WORLD

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 240, 11 July 1928, Page 17

THE RACING WORLD

(Continued from page 16.)

T. G. Pox is busy with Nelson Boy, who Should ba a very fit horse at Addington next month.

Cannonball is said to bo looking freshand well. Ha has not so far been asked to do much fast work, so can hardly be at his best if called upon to race at Addingtod next month.

Tn some quarters In Auckland there is h tendency to press the Auckland Trotting Club to revert to an autumn meeting in place of the winter fixture. The changeover to a winter fixture was mado nt the request of the Owners and Breeders’ Association, it being urged that the lapse between autumn and spring racing was too long, and not in t’he best interests of the SpOrt. The argument now put forward in certain quarters in favour of a reversion f ,to the old order of things is that the winter meeting gives southerners a great advantage, and that they get the bulk of the prize money. This is a pbor sort of an argument, and if northern owners feel they nre at a disadvantage, obviously the right course to pursue Is to seek a remedy for overcoming any disability under which they may be labouring. Speaking generally, I question whether southern stables win more often nt the Winter flxturo than, they do at others earlier in the year. And what our northern friends must admit is that without the southern contingent the standard of the racing at Auckland would not bo what it is. The club has certainly encouraged outsiders to send their horses to Auckland to compete by offering gqod prizes, and this is as it should be, ns it is the only sound way to develop the sport. -

The next Rowe Cup contest nt Alcxnn'dra I'ark will- bo further endowed with a 100-gulnea gold cup. In the past a trophy has usually been donated for this popular trotting event, but the club has decided that in view of the importance of the race the time has arrived when a gold cup should be allotted in addition to t’no rich stake. The limit for the 1928 Rowe Cup has not. been fixed, but it is generally understood (states an exchange) that it will be tighter than the 4.36 class of last year. Tho promise of increased stake money for the ensuing season -was referred, to by the Hon. G. Witty, M.L.C., president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club, at the recent annual meeting of that body. He also Indicated that the club had come to ati arrangement with the Metropolitan Club whereby it would receive £3OO a year more rent thin it had previously. If there were, to. be a new stand, or anything else, the Metropolitan Club would pay for it, but in the event of an electric totalisator being installed each club would pay its quota, which would bo based on the totallsator figures for the previous year. - ' y NEW ZEALAND TROTTING CONFERENCE / ANNUAL MEETING OF DELEGATES REMITS PASSED — The annual meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Trotting Conference was held In Wellington yesterday. Mr. H. F. Nicoll presided over a full representation, every trotting club In New Zealand being represented. The report and balance-sheet were taken as read and carried without discuseion. ■ Mr. J. Rowe (Auckland) moved a vote of thanks to the- president for his 'excellent address,-and moved that it be printed and circulated amongst tho various clubs throughout the Dominion. A letter was received from the Ashburton Trotting Club, suggesting that all stewards of clubs should be provided with passes entitling them to admission on any trotting club’s course. ... Mr. J. Rowe (Auckland) described the request as rather remarkable, and stated that the position would be met if every travelling member armed himself with a letter of Introduction from his club, and he would then find that he would be treat- ■ ed with the courtesy that was always bestowed In Auckland. Delegates Instanced the fact that the scheme had been tried in Hawke’s Bay and had worked admirably. , The motion did not get very far, being lost by a big majority. "Kkd-. The question of the broadcastltng of races next came up for discussion, and the'president stated that both the executives of the Racing and Trotting Conferences had gone very deeply ifito the matter. Chief-Detective Ward had also reviewed the position, and his report stated that although there was much to.be said in favour of the broadcasting of races, there was a tendency to increase betting through other than the legale channels of the totallsator.. The following resolution was moved: “That the question of radio broadcasting of race meetings during the progress of the racing having been carefully investigated, the conference resolves—(l) That It is not in the Interests of trotting clubs or Of the general public that such r broadcasting should be permitted, for the reasons that such broadcasting promotes and facilitates Illegal betting and creates and maintains an attention to the happenings at race meetings by many persons not present, which results in disadvantage to the business community. (2) That radio broadcasting of this kind be prohibited by all clubs, but that all clubs be recommended to accord responsible representatives of the Broadcasting Company all 'facilities now enjoyed by the Press, in order that such representatives may take such notes as may enable the broadcasting of race meetings as part of the evening’s programme.’ The motion was carried. The remit introduced by the Cheviot Trotting Club that the Owners and Breeders’ Association be given representation on the conference was lost by a huge majority; and a measure by the Methven Trotting Club on the same lines was withdrawn. . Delegates did not seem to grasp the full meaning of the New Zealand Trotting Association's remit, which provided for the deletion of the word “match" from the definition of race. As at present constituted, the rules do not allow of a club putting on a match race besides eight other events, even t’h'ough the totallsator is not open on the match. It was only by / a single vote that the motion was lost. Tho Winton Trotting Club asked that the annual conference of delegates should be held alternately in Wellington and Canterbury, but the motion received little support. Mr. H. Evans, representing .the Marlborough Trotting Club, spoke feelingly when he asked that no application for alteration of dates of race meetings be considered unless made within three months of t’he date originally allotted to the club. His own club had suffered considerably in the matter, and.at its last meeting it had lost a big sum of money, while the West Coast had prospered at its expense. It was tho general opinion of members that the question •of - allocation ■of dates could be safely left in the hands of the Dates Committee./ The remit was lost. ■As was anticipated, a good deal of Interest centred in the remit proposed by Mr. B. S. Irwin (Porbury Park), that the New Zealand Trotting Association be abolished and district committees instituted In lieu thereof. Mr. Irwin attempted to make a good lease of what was apparently a forlorn hope, and he centred his argument round the fact that in these days members not resident in Christchurch found it doubly difficult to spare the necessary time to travel. In the event of district committees being formed, it would be found that there would be many capable men willing to give their services in the interests of the sport. He contended that there were many men with sound local knowledge who would be found ready to act on district committees. He did not see what harm would come of the change of constitution. Mr. L. Cohen (Wanganui), In a very convincing speech, said that the remit provided for the most drastic alteration from n system that had proved eminently satisfactory. Before members were asked to vote on the subject there should be put before them a.n outline of the mechanism proposed Z> bo installed. How could they »dopt it without some overpowering reawn being given? Did .members think mere would be an improvement under tho how idea? His Forbury Park friend had apparently taken it for granted that members knew all about the new scheme of things. They did not. Not a reason had been given for the change of a constitution t>f a system that had gone on for years. Mr. McKenna (New Brighton) stated that he had been instructed to oppose the remit, although It was generally regarded (hat the personnel of the association should be. changed. Mr. J. Llllco opposed the remit on the tround that "the devil they did know was petter than the devil they didn’t know,” ind the association was well and favourably known in trotting circles. The remit was lost by a Big majority. The on behalf of the Stipendtry Stewards’ Committee, introduce:) a hngthy remit giving the racecourse inspectors additional powers in debarring from (be racecourse people of undesirable character, aud this met with the full approval if delegates. The New Zealand Trotting Association moved a remit which is an addition to Rule

88, dealing with the appointment of patrol stewards. According to the new order of things no person, who is financially Interested In a race or Is the owner of a horse trained by a trainer who is also tho trainer, rider, or driver of a competitor in a race shall act as patrol steward. The motion was carried unanimously. A new rule, to be known as 144 A, was moved by the president: on behalf of the Stipendiary Stewards’ Committee, and provides that a horse must be presented for inspection by a stipendiary steward, failure to do which will result in a fine being imposed. The remit wap carried. . The president on behalf of the executive of the conference moved to have rule 48 amended to read as follows: “No member shall sit or vote on. any question In which he or any club of which he is a member or an official, shall be interested directly or indirectly; also, that no person who is a paid officer or holding a professional license shall be eligible to sit as-a member of the association. ... » ’-■'Both remltS’were carried. Rule 194-forbids the racing of horses by persons disqualified or whose names ap-' peared in the Unpaid Forfeit List, and tho Trotting Association moved to have the rule made more extensive by adding the words “anyone who is the. wife of. husband of, or. is employed by any such person.” This was. carried discussion. On the motion of the president a.remit was carried providing; that a horse shall be ridden or driven through a meeting by the one horseman. This was carried. A further remit moved by the president provides that a horse’s gear shall not be changed in the course of a meeting.—CarThe Methven Trotting Club received short shrift in connection with its remit stipulating that the minimum weight in harness racing shall be 11 stone. The remit found a seconder, but there were only two votes recorded in favour of It. The president moved that -each club should appoint a birdcage steward for its meetings, and this remit was carried, but a further remit giving the birdcage steward powers to inflict penalties was not carried. The luncheon adjournment was then taken, and immediately on resuming Mr. Nicoll again Introduced the remit with the deletion of two clauses setting out the duties of the birdcage . steward. Slightly amended, .the. remit went through. As things are at present, the stipendiary stewards have the powers to inflict fines up to. £2. The lengthy remit put forward by the Wellington Trotting Club on what was generally considered a new system of-han-dicapping seemed a bit too complicated for the majority of those present, and the voting showed little in its favour. The general opinion was that the handicappers should not be Interfered 'with in their work. : ' .- ■- . ■ The Methven Trotting Club representative moved that no horse be handicapped better than his best winning performance over that respective distance, fast tracks ..to be taken into consideration. The motion lapsed for want of a seconder.' • ‘ Practically the game fate happened another remit by the Methven Club, which stipulated that a horse shall be treated as a maiden until it has won a race. , In consequence the Cheviot Trotting Club’s remit bearing on the same matter was withdrawn. . • The New Zealand Trotting Association, with the idea of preventing cruelty to horses, moved a remit debarring the use of certain gear, and this was carried without opposition. Election of Officers. The election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows: —President, Mr. H. F. Nicoll; vice-president, Mr. John Rowe; executive, Messrs. B. S. Irwin, C. M. Ollivier, and E. V. Sutherland. The executive was appointed the Dates Committee for the year. Hon. treasurer, Mr. C. M. Ollivier. The fixing of the date and place for the next annual meeting was left in the hands of the executive. The Dates Committee offered the following suggestions for the coming year:— That Timaru T.C. be recommended to choose another date than October 20; that Cheviot T.C. be granted December 8 instead of December 15; that New Brighton T.C. bo asked to hold a two days meeting on December 15 and 17, Instead of one day meetings on December 1 and April 27; that Wellington T.C. be asked to race on February 16, not March 23, Wanganui to substitute April 11 and 13 for March 21 and 23, and Forbury Parle T.C. to race on March 2 and 4, not 9 and 11. It. was also recommended to the Auckland Club that It fix Its race dates for Saturday and Monday, not Saturday and Wednesday, as has been the general practice.

SOUTH CANTERBURY HUNT MEETING

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Christchurch, July 10. The following handicap has been declared for the trotting event at the South Canterbury Hunt. Club’s meeting:— WASHDYKE HANDICAP (saddle), of 100 bovs. One mile and a half—Petereta, Lily Bingen, Turama. Mountain Ore, Matlock, Just Jean. Goldenvale, Onoto, Wee Brent, Moving Pointer, Lady Bee, Bingen Wilkes, Harry Loeanda, scr.; Bingen Patch, Sunny Vue, Dan Logan, 24yds. behind; Young Bingen, 36yds. behind;. Imshi, Guide Rangl, Danny Boy, 48yds. behind; Kiowa, Dumas, Great Night, 60yds. behind; Our Bird, Expedient, 72yds. behind; Herbelwyu, Warepa, 114yds. behind.