CLASSIC RACING

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1940, Page 15

CLASSIC RACING

UNSATISFACTORY POSITION

As the result of unwieldy fields leadr ing to numerous accidents, the^New Zealand Trotting Conference in 1939 adopted a rule which compelled all races which attract a big number of starters to be run in divisions. All courses on which trotting races are decided have been measured, and a schedule compiled indicating t]?e number of horses who may start in a race on the various tracks. In March last the number of acceptors for the Timaru Nursery Stakes were 24, and the club decided to run it in two divisions. Since then, there has been considerabler opposition to the running of classic races in divisions, and at tne recent conference the rule was amended excluding the safety provision Jrom classic events, and permitting clubs to run them as one race irrespective of the' number of starters. T ; maril At the annual meeting of the Timaru Trotting Club, members expressed conSrn re|ard?ng the future of the Timaru Nursery Stakes, because, as one otnciai pointed out, there was likely to be a k^u«^o^^e eif SS^^^|| avoid accidents and Pro.^ le it in3 w S ballot-box to exclude the «eceg ag number to reduce a field would oe unsatisfactory, because thes most proved candidates might be ebmmatea It would be better if *« f thontie s excluded the candidates least like ly -to finish in the money. Unless the rule was altered to permit classic F ace,L + ° be run. either in divisions, or in heats and a final,.there was no other alternative.