DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2013, 22 September 1892, Page 29

DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB.

A meeting of the committee of the club was held last Friday. Present: Messrs Stepheneon (chair), Hazlett, Cook, Meenan, Miller, , Fleming, Taggart, and Philp. The report of the conference of delegates of the Metropolitan Jockey Clubs, held in Wellington on Bth September, was laid upon the table, also a letter, as below, from Captain Russell, chairman of said conference, addressed to the Colonial Secretary :— Wellington, 9th September 1892. Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. Sir,— As chairman of tho Conference of Metropolitan Jockey Clubs of New Zealand, I have the honour to inform you that at a meeting held in Wellington on the Bth inst. it was resolved tbat for the better regulating the nsu of the totuhsntor the Colonial Secretary be requested to i.sbiio a license for its use only to such clubs whose programmes are approved by the metropolitan club of the district where tbe proposed race meeting is intended to be held, which programme should be forwarded through the resident magistrate of the

district for any comments he may think it his duty to make thereon. That with a view of testricting the spread of race meetings which would not nave been contemplated but for the prospect of the use of the totalisator, the following new rules have been passed by the conference and have been incorporated in the Rules of Racing, and consequently are binding on every jockey club in New Zealand :— 1. The totalisator shall not be used on any course within 20 miles of any metropolitan racecourse by any club that has a race of less value than L2O on its programme. 2. Any club holding more than three meetings in the year must give an average of at least Lb'oo per diem in stakes. 3. Any club holding three meetings in the year must give an average of at least LSOO per diem in stakes. . 4. Any club holding two meetings m the year must give an average of at least L3OO per diem in stakes. 5. Any club holding one meeting in the year must give a sum of not less than Ll5O per diem in stakes. The conference consisted of representatives or jockey and.racing clubs only, and not of trotting clubs, but they are all interested in and conversant with the details of racing in all its forms and branches, and are of opinion that in order to make effective measures to limit the use of the totalisator, similar regulations should be applied to trotting meetings, and that no license for the use of the totalisator thould be issued to any club, whether jockey or trotting, which does not give the added money set out in the preceding paragraphs. The conference desires further to call the attention of the Colonial Secretary to the abuses consequent on the existence of proprietary clubs, formed and used for the purpose of gam to the members, and. not to promote genuine sport, and recommend the Colonial Secretary to require from all clubs, both racing and trotting, applying for a license to use the totalisator, evidence that the club is a genuine sporting club and not formed for the purpose of gain to the members, and further to require proof, by production of duly audited balance sheet, to be attached to the first programme of the season, that no person other than the officers reasonably salaried shall, directly or indirectly, derive any profit from the meetings of the club, and that tho whole funds of tte club are to be expended in stakes and necessary expenses connected with its meetings. — I have, &c, , _ , .W. 1 R. Russell, Chairman of Conference. The Secretary asked for instructions as regards passing the programmes of country racing club 3, some of which he had received, and it was resolved—" That a copy of the resolutions passed by the conference be forwarded to all clubs in the Otago Metropolitan District, calling their attention to the amount they would now have to give as added money for their programmes in accordance with the same ; also a letter explaining the circumstances, showing that the Dunedin Jockey Club had no option in the matter." The secretary brought up a report, as below, ia connection with the New Zealand Trotting Association : — At a meeting of the association, held at Christchurch on 12th September, the representatives from the Otago clubs that had not hitherto been approved were not allowed to sit and take part in the proceedings. It would take too long to explain all the various quibbles used by the majority of the present Executive Committee to prevent a number of the southern clubs from being represented, suffice it to say that at the meeting alluded to the rules were altered as below :— 1. That metropolitan racing clubs and country racing clubs having trotting races in their programmes are not represented on the association. 2. That racing clubs whose programmes contain trotting events shall bo allowed to run under the rules of the association upon application without payment of fee. 3. That trotting clubs pure and simple are only allowed representation on the association. 4. That if any horse trots in any trotting race at any meeting not held under the rules of the association, such horse shall be permanently disqualified from running at any meeting held under the rules of the association, unless the association see just and sufficient reason to remove such disqualification. 1 There has been no alteration in the rules of trotting as agreed on at the meeting held on 10th May at Christchurch, when your secretary represented the Dunedin Jockey Club and the country clubs in the Otago district. In consequence of the above I beg to recommend — A. That the Dunedin Jockey Club, as the metropolitan, in future take entire control of horse racing of every description within the Otago provincial district. b. That a set of rules, to be called the rules of trotting of the Dunedin Jockey Club, be at once prepared, and that all trotting races in the Otago provincial district be run under the said rules. c. That a hearty vote of thanks be accorded to Mr C. Hood Williams and the other gentlemen in Christchurch that have been appointed, and kindly consented to act, _ as delegates for various clubs in this district, for their courtesy, aud the trouble which they have taken in endeavouring to obtain representation in the present New Zealand Trotting Association. Sydney James, Secretary D.J.C. Dunedin, September 16. It was unanimously resolved that the report be adopted, and that a sub-committee consisting of Messrs Philp, Miller, Fleming, Taggart, and Dowse be appointed to draw up a set of rules to govern trotting in the Otago district. THE D.J.C.'S CIRCULAR. With reference to the first of the two subjects referred to in the above report, the following circular has been issued by the D.J.C, and a copy sent to the secretary of every country club in the district : — Dear. Sir,— At a conference of delegates of Metropolitan Racing Clubs recently held in Wellington at the instigation of the Government, the following alterations in Rule 22 of the Rules of Racing were made, and are now binding on every club in New Zealand ; the programmes of the various clubs must be made out in accordance therewith before a license to use the totalisator will be issued by the Colonial Secretary. 1. The totalisator shall not be used on any course within 20 miles of any metropolitan racecourse by any club that has a race of less value tJian L2O on its programme. 2. Any club holding more than three meetings in the year must give an average of at least L6OO per diem in stakes. 3. Any club holding thrto lceeliupcs in the year must give an average of at least LSOU petdiem in stakes. 4. Any club holding two moetings in the year must give an average of at least L3oopcr diem in stakes. 5. Any club holding one meeting in the year must give a sum of not less than Ll5O per diem in stakes. The Dunedin Jockey Club feel that the alteration will bear hardly on the country clubs under their jurisdiction, but unfortunately they have no option in the matter if the totalisator license is required. Your club has hitherto held one meeting during the year. You will therefore have to raise the amount of added money at such meeting to the sum of Ll5O per diem free of the usual deductions for x'ercentage and selling races. [The word " one "and the sum "Llso"arc altered in the circulars posted to clubs holding two meetings!. trotting races.— The Dunedin Jockey ' Club have severed their connection with the New Zeaand Trotting Association, and all trotting races in the Otago metropolitan district will in future be run under the Rnles of Trotting of the Dunedin Jockey Club. You will be good enough, to notify this in the conditions attached to your programme. No charge will be made by this club as affiliation fee. The trotting rules are in coUrse of preparation and will shortly be issued.— Yours faithfully, Sydney James, Secretary. Dunedin, 19th September, 1892.