RACING CONFERENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 20, 23 July 1909, Page 3

RACING CONFERENCE.

YESTERDAY'S PROCEEDINGS. NEW COLOURS RULE The New Zealand Racing Conference was continued 'after The Post went- to press yesterday, Sir George Clifford prebiding. The president moved the new rule relating to colours. The proposal, as already explained in this paper, was designod with a view to avoiding tne confusion which takes place at present, owing to the duplication of colours under very thin distinctions. Sir George explained that. 35 groups of colours would be affected by the proposal, and some alteration would be required in 44 cases. About half of these, howev.er, were registered by men who did not race at all or who were alinobt unknown on the courses. — The proposed alterations were adopted, and it was agreed that the new order of things should not come int* force until Ist March next. A committee consisting of the president, the Hon. J. D. Ormond, and Mr. Peter Miller was appointed to adjust discrepancies, determine disputes, etc. JUMPING STANDARDS. Mr. J. Latham (Otago Country Clubs) moved : — No club shall be permitted to hold a steeplechase unless the jumps are erected in accordance with the following regulations : — (1.) All live or brush fences, when not 4 feet 3 inches in height and 18 inches through at the top, shall be guarded on the take off .side by- a pose and vail fence 3 feet 6 inches high. (2.) Post and rail fences shall be not less than 3 feefc 9 inches high. (3.) Barnes and sod walls shall be not less than 3 feet 6 inches high, with an open ditch on the take off side not less than 4 feet wide. (4.) Water jumps shall not be les-s than 8 feet wide, guarded on the take off side by a brush or post and rail fence not lesb than 3 feet high. Mr R. H. Nolan (laranaki) .seconded the motion which was lost on a division. The supporters contended that the tendency was to make jumps 100 small; the opponents held that a hard and fast rule would lead to endless trouble. If a jump happened to be a little higher or a little lower an owner would have good grounds for a protest. SIRES' PRODUCE STAKES. A new rule was added providing that any person being the owner of progeny of a sire may nominate such sire ior a Sires' Produce Stake subject to the consent of the owner of the sire, or if thb owner resides outside the Dominion ; the nominator u> be responsible for the entry fees and receive any stakes. JOCKEYS AND TRAINERS. The president moved : "That all licenses be granted by a licensing rommittce of the conference, and issued by the secretary." Tha idea was, he saiu, to get away from local influences in dealing with cases. He thought the change would have a good effect on the jockeys. Dr. Thomas v'l'imaru) seconded the motion. The Hon. G. M'Lean said he was of opinion that the proper people to L<sue licenses were the local people. Mr. Moorhouse (Wellington) strongly supported the proposal. He thought it would be the best of good things. The proposal was negatived by 23 votes to 16 The following new mle was moposed by Mr. P. H. Pyne (Canterbury) ; — "When any licensed trainer or jockey has been called before the stewards or committee of any club and punished, i reprimanded, or warned, a report of the | proceedings shall be sent to the metropolitan committee-, who shall forward it to the secretary of the Racing Conference. Such report shall be entered in a book to be kept for the purpose, and shall be open lor inspection by the officials of any club." The proposal was lost on a division. A motion to repeal that portion of the rule giving clubs the right to deduct 2£ per cent., from jockeys fees collected by them for expenses was also vetoed. An alteration was made in rule 12 relating to emergency riders providing that the proviso as to stakes should be based or. a £150 limit — not £100 as at present. Rule 6, part XXIV., was struck out, and. the following substituted): — "No whip or substitute for a whip, bridle, plates, or anything worn on a horse's legs, shall be allowed in the scales, either in weighing out or weighing in." It was agreed that in future a new rule snould operate providing that no rider in a hurdle race or steeplechase shall be weighed out unless he is provided with a skull cap. It was mentioned by one delegate that he had been informed by a jockey who rode at Trentham this meeting, and whose mount fell, that he would have suffered serious injury had he not been wearing a skull cap. At the instance of the Hawkes Bay Jockey Club it was agreed that: — "It shall be compulsory for the riders of placed horses to weigh in, and any such rider failing so to do may be fined a sum not exceeding £50." ' UNRULY JOCKEYS. The president moved the 'following new rule in substitution of that in operation in the past: — "The starter may order any jockey who disobeys his orders, or who attempts to take an unfair advantage in the start of any race, to return to the paddock, and may fine such jockey a sum not exceeding 5 sovereigns. He shall report such misconduct to the stewards, and any fine shall be deemed to be a fine imposed by i the stewards." He said some jockeys ! caused a lot of trouble at the post by manoeuvring for flying starts, 'lhe proposal, to his mind, was not too drastic. — Mr. Buick said the rule would press hardly on owners. — Mr. Herries wished to know whether a horse sent back would be considered a starter? Would [ the money invested on such a horse on I the totalisator be refunded to the in1 vestors?— Mr. Bidwill thought the money on the horse should be returned, and J tho fine on the jockey should be at least £10. It was quite possible that a jockey would deliberately misbehave at the post with, the object of getting his mount sent back. — Several other speakers endorsed this view, and it was contended that starters, at present, did not take full advantage of their powers. — The president, in reply, said that where boys misconducted themselves at the post it was invariably due to the fact that the owner or trainer of the horse instructed the boy that he had to get away at all hazards. He did not suppose the motion would be carried, ] but he hoped it would at least have the effect of making starters realise their responsibilities. — The proposal was lost. "BRACKETED HORSES." i Mr. W. E. Bidwill moved an alteration to rule 2, part 30, with a view to providing that whereas now two or more horses run in the same interest in a single race are bracketed on the ma- ' chine, horses "trained by the same trainer"' running in tho same race should also be bracketed. He claimed that there was just as much reason why horses trained by the same trainer should bo bracketed as horses in the same ownership. I Tbo prejMui.v.t thought the aujtipn |

aimed at a most important reform. The public knew as a rule which was tho best of two bracketed horses competing in one race in the same ownership and trained in a "single training" establishment, but that was not the case where several horses from one establishment in different ownership were running. The trainer and the owners knew. Although he was certain the motion would not be adopted, he did not hesitate to say that the rule was one which should be adopted by the conference. Sooner or later it would have to be added to the racing laws. — The proposal was lost. OTHER ALTERATIONS IN RULES. The totalisator refund regulation was altered to provide that no refund shall be made when the horse on which the ticket was purchased has weighed out. Another alteration gives disqualified jockeys or trainers the right to obtain employment unconnected with the training or running of horses. In the past owners have oeen debarred from employing a disqualified jockey to do any work — even black a pair of boots. In future disregard for the disqualification rules will carry the following further disability :— "Every disqualified person disobeying the rule by entering upon a racecourse or otherwise shall thereby incur an addition to his sentence of one-third of its original duration, and shall pay a fine of not Jess than £5 for every such act of disobedience before such sentence shall be considered to have expired." OFFICE BEARERS. Messrs. Friedlander, Abbott, Alisen, Goodbehere, M'Vay, and Hood-Williams were appointed a Dates and Permits Committee. Sir George Clifford was unanimously re-elected president. A motion was passed thanking him for his past services, and acknowledging the debt of gratitude the conference owed him forhis gratuitous labours and the efforts he had always made to promote pure racing. Sir George suitably replied, and the conference adjourned.