TROTTING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 9, 10 July 1935, Page 13

TROTTING

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

ALTERATIONS TO RULES

SPEEDING-UP OF RACES

With the exception of Nelson, all trotting clubs were "represented at the New. Zealand Trotting Conference today. The president, Mr. H. F. Nicoll, Ashburton, ypresided. The statement of receipts and payments for the year ended May 31 showed a balance of receipts over expenditure of £823 2s lid. Extracts from the president's address appear under separate headings. On the motion of Mr. B. S. Irwin (Forbury Park T.C.), Mr. Nicoll was thanked for his address, and it was decided to have it printed and circuThe Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C. (Wellington) and Messrs. C. M. Ollivier (Christchurch) and H. Morpeth (Auckland) were re-elected to the executive, and Mr. F. E. Graham (Christchurch) was appointed treasurer of the conference. The executive were appointed the dates committee. On the motion of Mr. Irwin, the totalisator licences for the 1935-36 season were granted as in July last, with the exception of the Northland Club, now defunct, whose licence is to be treated as a floating licence, and is to be used by the Waikato Trotting Club for the 1935-36 season. ' RULES DISCUSSED. A motion legalising matinee racing was adopted. A remit brought forward by the president and adopted provided that any club which has not held a meeting for the space Of a racing season shall cease to be registered; if such club desires to be reregistered an application for reregistration is to be sent to the association accompanied with two guineas, the fee for reregistration. An amendment to make reregistration free was defeated. The Auckland Trotting Club moved to have rule 107 deleted and the following substituted: No race shall be included in any programme at which the totalisator is used with slower limits than 2.26, 3.3, 3.41, 4.0, 4.58 for one mile, 1} miles, 1J miles, 1 5-8 miles, 2 mile for pacers, and 2.31, .3.9, 3.47, 4.7, 5.5 for similar distances for unhopple'd trotters. The remit provoked a fair amount of discussion, , and opposition was raised against it by representatives of country clubs. The opinion was expressed that it would result in hardship to the country clubs. In view of the comments of the country club delegates,' Mr. Morpeth withdrew the remit. RACE PROGRAMMES. ; An amendment was made to rule 115 to provide for each race to be commenced leaving an interval of not more than thirty-five minutes between each race, except that in one case only on any oite day the interval may be forty minutes. The president,..who moved the remit, said he thought the amendment to the rule as proposed would "brisk" things up and would be beneficial to the sport. It was ' suggested that to overcome an objection raised by one country club delegate the interval could be thirty-five minutes in the winter months and forty minutes in the summer. Mr. F. Clark (Westport) said he thought the proposal would be appreciated by patrons of the sport and accepted as a blessing ■by all drivers. Mr. Nicoll said he thought that if the rule was there the horsemen would speed up. That was proved by the interval of twenty-five minutes in New South Wales. The remit was carried. LICENCES. It was decided on the motion of Mr. Kitchingham to provide that the association may, without assigning any reason, refuse to grant an application for a licence or may suspend or 'cancel any licence, already granted, and shall not be in any way responsible or liable in damages by reason of such refusal, suspension, or cancellation. The Methven Trotting Club moved that the onus of placing horses on their correct marks shall rest with the starter, and that in the event of any horseman disputing his, mark the starter shall hold up the race and communicate immediately with the officials of the club. Mr. B. J. McKenna (New Brighton) said he did riot think there was any necessity for the rule.. The president said he did not think there should be a compulsory rule. The remit was withdrawn. Approval was given to a new rule, submitted by the New Zealand Trotting Association, providing (a) any owner or trainer starting in a race a horse that is known to him to be in indifferent health shall be liable to a fine not exceeding £10, or may be suspended or disqualified for such period as may be thought fit: and (b) any horse which in the opinion of a stipendiary steward is unfit to race shall not be eligible to start in any race. LICENSING OF STARTERS. It was decided to add to rule 470 provision for the licensing of starters. Mr. Nicoll said that the addition would not affect the rights of clubs in any way. The question was raised as to the position of honorary starters. In reply Mr. Nicoll said he did not think the question arose. Whether the starter acted in an honorary capacity or was a paid. man was simply a matter for the clubs. The president was asked if an honorary starter would be required to pay a fee. Mr.' Nicoll said there, might be " a nominal fee of 2s .6d.0r.55, and: the. club could pay that. The proposal was -another- step in the direction of improving the prestige' of the sport. The starter was the 'most important official on the course on the day of the meeting and'it-was thought that it was- in the interests of the sport tfiat the man appointed should be one with ' approved qualifications. ' DATES OF MEETINGS. '.The list of "dates'submitted by trotting clubs for holding race meetings in the 1935-36 season' was approved, with the following alterations:— The Auckland Trotting Club change from March 23 to September 7. The New Brighton Trotting Club change from October 5 to October 12. The Waikato Trotting Club be allowed to race on October 12 or October 19. The Thames Trotting Club be allowed to race on November 2. The Timaru Trotting Club be granted March 14 as applied for, and the Cheviot Trotting Club be asked to select another date. The Taranaki Trotting Club change from April 4 to March 21. The Wanganui Trotting' Club change from March 21 and 23 to March 28 and April 4. ', The Manawatu Trotting Club race on April 18. The Canterbury Park Trotting Club's 'application for March 21 be held over. In the matter of last year's resolution regarding the time in which clubs must notify their intention to race, the dates committee recommended that the

time be altered so that such notice must be given mot later than December 31 in each year. HORSEMEN'S LICENCES. The 'new classification, of horsemen's licences, as previously outlined in "The Post," was adopted by 24 votes to 9, with one minor alteration to clause 7. This clause was-altered, to reacMhat all horsemen-who held a .licence during the 1934-35 season" or previously shall be eligible-for 'an A grade-licence in the 1935-36"season, unless the licensing .committee of the association has good reason to decide, otherwise. Mr. K. S. Green (Gore) moved a resolution recommending.that the executive go into the whole question _ of handicapping with a view to removing the anomaly of the artificialtime limits now existing, and that the executive submit a report to :the next conference.

In reply to a question, Mr. Green said that the proposal would involve a scaling down of the present handicaps so as to bring about a proper basis of limit times.

The president assured Mr. Green that the matter would be looked into.