SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 55

SPORTING NOTES FROM AUSTRALIA.

By Hoki Poekk. MELBOURNE, December 20. TURF NEWS.

There -mas an interesting development last Wednesday in connection wiih the control of racing as exercised by the Victoria Racing Club. A deputation from the Rawhorse Owners' and Trainers' Association, comprising Messrs W. Reid (vice-president of the association), James Wilson^ J. O'Brien, W A Fil^te, J. H. .Davis, H. Harrison, J. Cripps! H. Roberts, J. Carmody, and E. B. Bell (hon. secretary), waited upon Premier Thomas Bent to request that in future when the Government issued licenses for racecourses it should be distinctly understood and provided that the Victoria Ricing Olub should not have the power, to disqualify racehorses or owners lor racing on such courses because they were not registered by the V.R.C. In introducing the deputation Mr Keogh, M.L.A., stated that under the Gaming Act ell racecourses had to be licensed, and albeit racehorse owners and trainers were under the impression that they were at liberty to race anywhere on any ditfy licensed course, the V.R.C. persisted in the conditions' in vogue prior to the act coming into force, and had point-blank refused to allow owners and trainers to race on courses not "blessed" by it. "The high .priest of racing, the Victoria Racing Club." continued Mr Keogh, "still excommunicated those who raced on licensed courses which the olub had not sanctioned. The owners and trainers considered that the Flemington racecourse belonged to the public. It was situated upon public land, of which the Victoria Racing Club was supposed to have a. •lease at a nominal rent, and a public railway provided comrnunioa'tion .with the course. The prizes were really given out of public money, .because the club was allowed- to charge' for admission to what -was public land. Despite that fact, "tEe club said that if the owners and- trainers engaged in racing anywhere else on courses not registered by the clvb — even though they might be licensed by the Governments—they should be disqualified. So far as jockeys, bookmakers, and' ponies were concerned, the club had given way. The committee of the club proposed! that trainers might be allowed to train and jockeys to ride ponies on all licensed courses. But the club had drawn the line at racehorses and their owners and* trainers. The gentlemen on the deputation represented those who did the work, who helped the farmer to dispose of his produce, who took his corn. They did! not object to racing under the Vic-^ria Racing Club's rules. They did not object to the disqualification of anyone guilty of roguery and rascality. They did not object to the Victoria Racing Club refusing to license' courses which were not conducted properly, or which were the resort of thieves and vagabonds. They agreed that, when courses were not conducted propeily, the Chief Secretary should b^ asked to refuse to license them. But they thought it was ' going a- bit too strong ' for the VictoriaRacing Club to say that a- horse was defiled for running upon a course not registered by the club, which, as a matter of fact, did not represent the whole of the racing community, inasmuch aa Ballarat, Werrnambool, and Bairnsdale were not represented by it. The deputation asked! that the matter should be put before the Chief Secretary, and that in future when licenses for racecourses were issued there should be a proviso to prevent the Victoria Racing Club from) disqualifying racehorses and owners of r-acehoryes if they engaged in racing upon such licensed courses even though the courses were not sanctioned or registered by the club." Mr Keogh further explained that the matter had been first brought before the Premier in preference to the Chief Secretary, as the deputationists thought the matter might require legislation, and, if so, Mr Bent could think the thing over during 1 the recess, and bring in a bill next year if necessary. To- which the Premier replied in just so many words: "You have come too late, or you might have got a bill this session. I think I know all you want. It is a matter for the Cabinet to consider first of all. It is big enough for Cabinet. If we cannot arrange with the Victoria Racing Club we will bring in a bill." TTgon which the deputation, after having thanked the Premier, withdrew with their faces "wreathed in smiles," so to speak. Of course, it requires no spirit of divination to nominate the rawer which set the Racehorse Owners' and Trainers' Association machinery in motion. Bui it is very questionable whether the deputation were representative enough -to ensure of their request being fully granted. It is a question upon which, to quote dear old Sir Roger de Coverley. "there's muck to be ©aid -upon both sides." Moreover, the V.R.C folk, evidently — Eke, Job's war-horse — "scenting the battle afar." have notified their intention of unbending their worthy selves to the extent of holding a meeting of members, probably early in February, a* which the committee will submit, the following resolutions, and aak the meeting to pass the necessary motion to allow of the necessary alteration to the rules: [1) That all disqualifi cations be -removed that were incurred prior to December 13. 1907, md fill persons for racing or riding horses ar ponies at unregistered meetings in Victori*, or for having taken part in, or having assisted at, unregistered meetings in such a ivay as to have thereby incurred disqualification under the V.R.G. rules. Further, all iorses and ponies which have incurred disqualification "irflfler ivl«'l9S-— the rule governing unregistered:' racing. {&) That all trainers be allowed to train and race, end jockeys ;o Tide, ponies on racecourses licensed under ihe Gaming Act. (3) That bookmakers registered, by "the V.R.C. be allowed to bet 'where they please." Tha-t is all right enough as. far as it" .goes; but f» evidently doesn't go Sar enough. .to please Premier ' Bent, frliOj in, ftnsnei to, gepreseata'tives Pf t^ e

V.R.C. Committee, who waited on him yesteiv day on the subject, stated that he did not) consider that the V.R.C. had any tight to override an act of Parliament by refusing to recognise any course or courses specifically sanctioned by law, or to "warn off "owners and trainers who race on such courses. Fleming* ton racecourse, he pointed) out, is public pro« perty, and as long as there was no allegation of fraud or malpractice the V.R.C. waa going beyond its powers in disqualifying horses and individuals merely because they raced on a course _whioh the V.R.C. h-acß chosen to ostracise. All racecourses are now on an equality. They are specifically sane-, tioned by law; their number cannot be increased except by act of Parliament, and; the number of days on which each course m*j] hold a meeting is definitely prescribed, Ini these circumstances for one licensed club to cay that it will not , tolerate another licensed club and will not allow its patrons to race on the public lands at Flernington, is going too far. Mr Bent intimated that he had no desire to interfere with the V.R.C.'s authority as the law-giver of tha turf if it -acted reasonably and with fairness to all sections of the racing public, and if tha V.R.C. "came to some arrangement with the clubs now outside the pale, he would nob take any further action. .But' in default ofi that- the Premier declared he would bring down a bill creating a, boaid of control in> racing, on. which would be" represented the V R.C., the V.A.T.C., the suburban and th« •country racing clubs. That board would b< a final court of appeal in respect of all dis« qualifications, whether imposed by the. V.R.C t or any other club, and in the event of an> club refusing to accept nominations or can-s celling the license of any jockey or- trainei! on any ground except that of fraudulent practice or misbehaviour, the board would b< armed with power to insist on the lisquali< fication being annulled. In the circumstances, it is something more than probable that thaC V.R.C>_ will adopt some course to obviate th% necessity for Mr Bent's ultimatum.

After having carried off the Melbourne Cup; so gloriously, some of your New Zealand! owners may decide on having a shy for tha Newmarket Handicap and Australian Cup, tc\ be run at the V.R.C. autumn meeting ia March. In which connection allow me to give them a reminder that entries close fon both the events I have named on Tuesday, January 7, 1908. The sporting editor' of the Melbourne Leader is responsible* for the following remarkable exemplification" of witbi faint praise" the trainers of your Dominion! in comparison with those of our Commonwealth. Perpend: — "Seal Rook, the four-year-old ha-lf-brother to the Melbourne Oupr winner, Apologue, and to the brilliant maret Gladsome, having proved c disappointment) when racing in New Zealand, it will be interesting to note whether he, l ike his relatives, earns marked distinction in Australia-. Seal Rook is being trained at Randwick byi" the astute Isaac Earnshaw,. who is entitled! to the credit for transforming Apologue into a racehorse, and that circumstance will add its quota in raising interest in Seal Rock's Australian career. It cannot be urged for Seal Rock, as was alleged in the case of Apologue, that he had not the best of treatment in New Zealand, for -Richard Mason, <who failed, to make a ra-cehorsa- of him, 1 %f in the forefront o£ his profession. Will Earn-, sha-w succeed in a direction that nonplussed Mason? He may, and' doubtless change of scene and of climate may have much to do with it."