THE TURF PARLIAMENT

Evening Star, Issue 18020, 14 July 1922, Page 3

THE TURF PARLIAMENT

DIVISION OF FIELD.

PRESIDENT’S SCHEME.

One of tho chief matters discussed at the Racing Conference in Wellington, at which Sir George Clifford presided, was. tho Auckland Racing Club’s proposal that in cases where eight races were on the day’s programme the.stewards or committee may, after acceptance, reduce or limit tho number of starters by any equitable means, provided tho means adopted and the procedure to -give effect to such reduction or limitation shall have been approved by the president and advertised as part of tho programme in the official calendar. On this question 'the Hon. W. Dowme Stewart advised that he was not prepared to amend the existing law as proposed, as the Crown Law Office was of opinion that a division- of the field was a contravention of section 7 of the Gaming Act. Air F. Earl (Auckland) supported the motion, and referred- to the recent Auckland meeting, in which more than thirty horses started on a course about a chain wide, which provided reasonable space for twenty-five runners. In such cases there was grave risk of accident. A record fie.d in the dominion occurred at tha Pakuranga Hunt Club meeting on S?]Aember ' 17, when forty-two horses vn.ii. Big holds were not liked by the public, and- were hated by jockeys. New Zealand was tho only country 7 in the world where race.-* were not permitted to -be run in divisions when the size of the fields created a danger. At Randwick, Ascot, and other Sydney courses divisions were allowed. if accidents occurred the public would, justified in accusing the Racing Conieience of shirking its responsibilities The President (Sir George Clifford.) said he had asked the Minister to introduce legislation, so that if accidents occurred tho responsibility would be on the Legislature, not on the Racing Conference, the Government should pass 'legislation- enabling racing clubs to make experiments, during tho coming season. The President submitted the following scheme to be placed before the Minister: “At no raco meeting shall_ the totahsator be ouenc-d on more, than eight times on one dav, nor shall there be more than ehrirt races on anv one day's programme (as at first advertised), exclusive of matches or private sweepstakes. To such no prize money shall be added by the club Provided, however, that, with the object ol limiting the number of starters and thus diminishing the risk of accident.-,, the stewards may, if tho number of horses accepting for a race exceeds twenty, order such race to be run ni two ihe first division shall consist of half of tae field handicapped at the heavier y e, g and the second division of the halt handicapped at the lighter weights. In Hie case of an odd number of horses accepting, the race shu.ll bo divided so that the gieatei number of horses shall start in the first division. In the case of a weight-for-age race or a race for special weights, tho divisions shall be decided by lot. No race shall be divided in which the added money exceeds l.OOOsovs.” The president’s scheme was adopted. It. was decided that the new rule drafted by the president be incorporated in the rules, and be brought into effect, if necessary, when authority is obtained. GENERAL—THE REMITS. -The rule relating to tho interpretation of “district committee” was amended by the addition of the following:— ‘ Tho district committee shall have jurisdiction over all race meetings held in a metropolitan district, and may raise and shall consider and determine ail matters in relation to the conduct of racing by the clubs in its metropolitan district winch arc not otherwise provided for in these rules. All clubs and’ persons shall be bound by the decision (including anv order, direction, or determination) of the district committee, which, however, shall be, subject to appeal. _ It was decided that stewards, it compelled on account of inclement weather pinny extraordinary circumstances, may put off any -race meeting from day- to day, provided” that races so postponed take place on the first available clay. Rule 4 was amended accordingly. An addition was made to the rule relating to tho exclusion of persons and horses from racecourses, providing that no refund of admission on payment could be made, and that the dub could not be liable to any action for damages in respect of removal. . , It was resolved, on tho motion of the president, that when a trotting competition is included in the programme of any meeting at which the Kotalisotor is used the amount given in stakes shall not exceed the average amounts given on the same day 7 for events, on the programme other than the principal event. "Air W. E. Bidwill moved a Wairarapa remit proposing that the 101 b penalty provision reluting to flat race jockeys in steeplechases or 7 hurdle races should be done away with if there were not sufficient jockeys on the course. He declared that jockeys without Hie weight penalty should be substituted. The motion was carried. In connection with Hie same rule it was agreed that the penalty for licensed jockeys in races for apprentices should be 141 b instead of 101 b. The rule was further amended by increasing the distance of the race for apprentices from six _ to. not less than seven furlongs, and debarring two-year-old horses from inclusion hi races in which apprentices only may ride. In such races no rider is to be allowed whip or spur. A motion by Hie president, at the request of the Stipendiary Stewards’ Committee, was adopted requiring the name proposed for any horse to bo registered, prior to its entry for any race, with the secretary of tho conference, with particulars as to the name of the breeder (if known), the name of Hie owner or persons having an interest in the horse, and its ago, color, sox, pedigree, etc. The president also successfully passed a further recommendation from the Stewards’ Committee that the old name as well as the new name of a horse should be given in every entry in the Stud Book for twelve months, or until the horse has run in a race in its now name.

Part xviii., rule 5, relating to the scale of jockeys’ allowances, was providing an exemption in the case of flat races and welter - weights. A Southland Racing Club remit was adopted providing that in all races in which apprentice jockeys are eligible to ride the penalty for a rider- of over thirty winners should be 101 b instead of 141 b as hitherto.

The Licensing Committee was empowered to suspend, cancel, or withdraw any license of its own motion or upon recommendation of any district committee, , An Auckland remit was approved imposing a fine not exceeding £SO upon trainers or jockeys who misconduct themselves in any way. Alternately they may be suspended for such a period as the racing authority may think fit. Reductions were approved in the fees payable to jockeys under rule 6, excepting where the net amount payable to the winner is less than £SO. The reduction is to be 20 per cent, in flat race events and 10 per cent, in hurdle races and steeplechases. A new rule was passed that when a horse Is disqualified for a race owing to the default or misbehaviour of its jockey the Kfkey shall forfeit his fee, which may refunded to the owner.

The conference approved of the follow, ing resolutions of the committee:—“Tliat tie president be requested to draw the attention of the Minister of Internal Affairs to the undesirability of altering the proportion of racing and treating totalisator licenses os at present fixed! until such time at least as the whole question of totalisator licenses is again reviewed in its entirety. The committee recommends that in future, when the Dates Committee is appointed by the conference, the chairman of committees should be appointed for a year by the committee, and that all matters to be dealt with by the Dates Committee shall, as far as possible, bo Submitted to the chairman or committee at least fourteen days before any meeting of tire committee.” The Dates Committee elected was as follows j—Messrs W. E. Bidnvill, H. Lowry, J. S. M'Leod, P. Miller, the Hon. Sir Eclwiii Mitcholsoji, and J- H. Perrqtt,

It was decided that totalisator tickets bear the date of the race instead of that of tjje meeting. Part xxix., rules 2,3, andl 4, was amended to provide that in the event of there, being more horses starting in. a race than there are numbers availably on the machine the stewards or committee shall create a sufficient number of “ brackets ” to overcome the difficulty. A letter was read from the Minister of Internal Affairs regarding an item on the expenditure side of the annual' balancesheet of the Avondale Jockey 1 Club—“ Racing Commission, £1,602 6s Id.” The conference decided to obtain an explanation from the secretary of the Avondale Jockey Club.

Sir George Clifford was elected presi dent for the ensuing year.