Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1931, Page 4

At the Trotting Conference this week the vexed question of handicapping again engaged attention, The sport is very fortunate in having at its head at present an enthusiastic sportsman such as Mr H. T. Niccol,' who is a successful breeding and racing owner. He has given the subject much thought, and has been in touch with systems in vogue in other countries, •notably the United States where trotting is at its best. Mr Niccol had a good deal to do with the introduction of the system now in vogue in regard to handicapping, hut agreed it was not completely successful, The United States lias a system of “fixed handicaps,” hut Mr Niccol was not wholly impressed with that. The feelings expressed at the late conference indicated a preponderance o’f opinion in New Zealand for fixed handicaps, but , Air Niccol proposed and secured a modification of that system, or rather had parsed, something that may be described as a step towards the fixed handicaps. In modifying the existing system in the direction referred to, the penalising of the third horse has been removed, and an adjustment of penalties set down for the. various distances, according to the times recorded under certain conditions. This met with approval finally and will be in practice immediately. The system will enable owners to almost do their own handicapping in that they will know the penalty incurred according to the time put lip by their horse ill finishing ■fiiwh oi‘»i;aoojtfhi.Jhhis system will fis-v move much of the growling prevalent in the past against the ha>idicapper, and will create a progressive list of penalties which' will be known in advance as it were ns soon as a horse qualifies for a higher mark. The alteration is to have a year’s trial when it will come up again for review.