RULES OF RACING

Evening Star, Issue 21785, 30 July 1934, Page 14

RULES OF RACING

AUSTRALIAN CHANGES GIVE “STIPES” MORE POWER The committed of the Victoria Racing Club recently ratified additions and amendments to the Australian Rules of Racing. Some . racegoers have often complained that Australian stipendiary stewards had more than sufficient power, and when the new rules come into operation they \ will have more reason to complain, remarks the Melbourne writer “Cardigan.” The racing mail who obeys the racing law, and does .not, resort to ..malpractices on the turf, "has nothing to fear. It is only the sharper and the crook who will have to take more care to avoid the extended powers of the stewards. A UTILITY RULE. Recent disqualifications and happenings in New South Wales, and in Victoria, are, no doubt, responsible for the tightening up of_ Rule 19, with its fifteen clauses, which. states the general powers and duties of stewards. Rule 19 is regarded by stipendiary stewards as the utility rule of the Australian Rules'of Racing, and Clause C gives them authority to “ regulate and control, inquire into, take cognisance of, and adjudicate upon, the conduct of all officials, riders, jockeys, trainers, grooms, and persons attendant on, or connected with, any horse.” ’The addition to this clause gives the stewards power to control all persons frequenting the enclosures, whether they are connected with horses or not. One new provision gives stipendiary stewards power “to control and to enter all lands, booths, buildings, stands, enclosures, and other places used for the purposes of the meeting, and to expel or exclude any person from the same.” Hitherto the stewards have not had power to expel or exclude. . . The powers of the committee and stewards of the club to disqualify, suspend, warn off, or fine are extended, and any person “warned off ” shall be subject to. the same disabilities as attach to disqualification.' Stewards are empowered to ordei any jockey or rider to alter the length of his stirrups to their satisfaction, and to fine or disqualify him unless their directions be observed. GAGOOLA CASE OUTCOME. The onlv alteration of note made to rules 208 and 209 a, which deal with the removal from the course of any horse contrary to orders, and the power of the stewards to seize and take possession, of a horse, is that no horse may now be removed from the saddling paddock within half-an-hour after the finish of any race in which it has taken, part without the permission of the stewards. This addition to rule 208 is to prevent- such incidents as the hurried departure from the courses of Gagoola and Chrybean when they were taken away immediately after 'the race. While stewards can seize a horse on the course, they have no power to do so off the course, unless given permission by the owner aud those people who indulge in the art of “ringing horses are not likely to allow their horses to be seized. The new clause which makes racing clubs divide a surplus of nomination aud acceptance lees between a charitable fund and the second and third horses when such fees exceed the value of the prize is rather far-reaching, but. it will not affect the legitimate clubs, but may worry some of the proprietary concerns.