RACECOURSE ACCIDENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18897, 20 December 1924, Page 9

RACECOURSE ACCIDENTS.

Sir, —Mr. J. G. Wynyard, in his letter in the Herald of the 19th inst., ignores Mr. Parry's clear and definite inquiry. Mr. Parry wishes to know why the stewards of the Waipa Racing Club allowed 24 horses to run in the Waipa Plate, a short distance of five furlongs, in the face of the definite warning from the New Zealand Conference, that 17 horses was the " safety number." Here are the actual words used by the stipendiary stewards employed by the conference: " Width of track 66ft; safety number of horses, 17; the number oT horses which may be regarded as ' safety number,' as defined by the rules." Parliament, fully recognising the danger of many of our racecourses not being suitable' for the size of the fields, -passed a law permitting racos to be run in divisions when necessary. Yet we find the stewards of tho Waipa Club defying, not only tho stipendiary stewards and the New Zealand Racing Conference, but tho law of the land, and the astounding weakness in the control of racing is the fact that they were allowed to do it. It is apparent that as far as the internal management of racing is concerned, there is a lamentable weakness and the Government must step in and assume control, unless those at. present in control do their bare duty to the jockeys Better Control.