HANDICAPPING METHOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20925, 15 July 1931, Page 9

HANDICAPPING METHOD.

RETENTION FOR THIS YEAR. QUESTION OF PENALTIES. POWER TO MAKE REGULATIONS. [BY TELEGRAPH.—RACING REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Handicapping was one of tho principal topics of discussion at the New Zealand Trotting Conference to-day. In his opening address the president, Mr. H. F. Nicoll, said the system of handicapping instituted two years ago had been a factor in the improved conditions of racing and a matter of gratification to patrons. He continue^: —" At last year's conference you decided to carry on this system for a further 12 months, and that this' has resulted in bigger fields and keener contests is universally acknowledged and owners and trainers collectively are warm supporters of the innovation., " There are weaknesses to bo overcome, mainly caused by erratic handicapping, and a want of understanding of the system. The trouble with some of our handicappers is a lack of precision of thought and they may not bo unlike ourselves in this respect, but their handicaps are apt to advertise this failing, while we, who are not so well advertised, escape criticism. Your vicepresident's outburst at the last conference was not levelled so much at the existing system but at the application of it. and with the view to correcting this the executive has brought forward new rules, whereby handicappers should be licensed and power given to the stipendiary stewards' committee to make regulations, consistent with the system, for' the guidance and betterment of the handicapping. With the consent of the conference to these suggestions, most of the present drawbacks and petty worries would be eliminated." The conference decided to continue the handicapping system for another year and also decided that after July 31, 1931, no person shall act as a handicapper unless he holds a licence granted by the stipendiary stewards' committee. A proposal to institute fixed penalties, as desired by the Canterbury Owners and Trainers' Association, was defeated. A conference executive remit giving, the stipendiary stewards' committee power to make _ regulations regarding handicapping penalties was adopted. The .president said it was proposed that there should be no penalty for tlio third horse, that no horse should be penalised until he had won a race, that no horse should be let up on his handicap mark for six months, and then only if he had not run first or second and had started four times, and that for his first win in a 2.12 mile race or 2.4G mile nnd a-quarter race a horse should not be penalised for a mile and a-lialf or twomile races, and "vice-versa. s-