BETTING SANCTIONED FOR NIGHT TROTTING IN NEW SOUTH WALES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 August 1948, Page 7

BETTING SANCTIONED FOR NIGHT TROTTING IN NEW SOUTH WALES

(Rec. 1 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The New South Wales Cabinet has decided to permit betting at night trotting meetings. It has also ruled that the Australian Jockey Club Committee wrnuld continue to hear horse racing appeals, but that the hearings would be open to the press and the public. Legislation to that effect will be introduced. The ban on betting at night trotting meetings has in the past barred night trotting as a popular organised sport in New South Wales. The Cabinet agreed that there should be separate control organisations for trotting, greyhound racing and horse racing. At present the New South Wales Trotting Club holds the only trotting licence in Sydney. Night trotting is strongly established in South Australia and West Australia and was introduced in Melbourne two summers ago. The highest attendance at a Melbourne meeting was 33,045 on May 1, and the average attendance has been 25,000 —roughly equal to the average at Sydney race metings, excepting Randwick. Admiral Peterson Was Unlucky In Thames (asp The Thames Trotting Cup on Saturday provided one of the finest finishes seen on the course, and the result was a triumph for the Frankton trainer, F. Smith, who produced the winner, Bexdale, and the runnerup, Impartial. Airswept set the pace for more than a mile and a-half, with Chedworth Lass handy, but they failed to stay on when the pressure was applied. Bexdale, which was a long way back in the early stages, finished very fast to win by a neck from Impartial, with Tidy Lady another neck away. Murray Grattan, which could not get a clear run over the last furlong, finished practically m line with Tidy Lady. Admiral Peterson, which is trained at West Melton by J. D. Litten for Mr C L. Rhodes, was sent out a good favourite on both machines. After failing to go away correctly, he raced up to be handy to the leaders with half a mile to go but he lost all chance when he appeared to collide with Dusky Princess.

Successful Trip The Temuka trainer, L. H. Gunning, had a successful day at Thames on Saturday, winning races with WHi Scarlett, who led all the way in the Furiri Handicap, and Yours Truly, who won the Turua Handicap by five lengths. Will Scarlett is by Sandydale from Sporting Girl and Y °uis Truly is a Josedale Grattan four-yeai-old from Ranfurly Lass. Both are expected to be good winners this season.