TALK OF THE DAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3514, 19 July 1921, Page 39

TALK OF THE DAY.

By

SENTINEL.

THE RACING CONFERENCE. The Racing Conference sat in Wellington on Thursday 1 a.-1, and held the annual discussion concerning the Rules of Racing and other matters affecting tiie welfare of tile sport. The canterenee sat (with brief adjournments) from 10 a.m. to 10.15 p.m., and got through a good deal of important work during the period named. One of the most important reforms achieved was bringing the issue of trainers’ and jockeys’ licenses under the direct control of the Racing Conference, instead of the various District Committees. This is far more satisfactory than what was previously the case, when it was held that local influences sometimes obtained licenses which would not otherwise have been issued. A Licensing Committee, composed of a representative of each District Committee, will do the work in future, and it was no doubt the proposed method of forming the committee which was responsible for bringing- about the reform. In the past District Committees have granted trainers’ licenses to persons vi ho were not sufficiently qualified, and this to the detriment of those who had spent a lifeetime at the business. For instance a person who owned a horse might elect to act as his own trainer, and if a race or two were captured he could set up as a public trainer, even though his connection with racing did not extend beyond a few months. It is said that anyone can train a horse until it requires training, and there is no doubt that granting licenses to unqualified men is not only detrimental to the best interests of the sport, but also an injustice to trainers who have won the right to be recognised as competent trainers, but who perhaps have empty boxes, whilst the other, who generally cuts rates to obtain horses, has a full stable. Another important alteration in the rules will do away with races over four furlongs. This did not meet with complete approval, as it was hr Id that four furlongs was quite far enough to race a youngster in September and the early part of October. During these months some of the youngsters seen under silk are not actually' two years old, and the temptation to run them in some of 1 ne \ aiuable events decided in the early spring possibly injures their future value for racing and breeding purposes. The real remedy does not- consist in extending the distance, but rather in keeping hack the most richly endowed two-year-old races ■until later in the season, such as is the case in England. The races affected by the alteration include the Welcome Stakes and M'Lean Stakes, a race for which the Dunedin Jockey Club laid out a special course, arc! which rannnt lie extended without the piiy- li-ise e? oen.-u e ra bio amount of extra gt- nu n. A sli lir o scale of allowances for tlie \r hi rs in embryo tie chancf become piniticient horsemen, and anything that works in that dire ti< n commands u : z rovul. A slight improvement was made in connection with the fees payable to riders of the second ond third horse? in a race, and as the flat race events for hurdlers arid ’chasers are not domed a success it was decided to establish ordinary welters in which only riders of jumpers could take a mount. The president was anxious to debar apprentices who had not ridden 20 winners from carrying a whip. After an amendment that sharp spurs should also be debarred, the motion was lost on the votes. During the discussion on the matter some of the speakers referred to apprentices and others sometimes making too much use of the whip. Only crass ignorance on the pari of trainer or owner could allow such a state of affairs to occur more than once, and it is at times very necessary to allow a rider a whip and dummy spurs if he ha - he -n taught to u-e hut not abuse, them on hi- mount. Whilst cn the subject of riding, if will be of gro at interest to jockey* to know that in future they will be liable to suspension if they endeavour to obtain an unfair advantage at the start of a race. In the .South Island a painful lack of authority has been displayed by starters, who bare allowed riders to “back and fill” when Iming up to the barrier, and so .-ueak the advantage of being on the move wliil-t mine- are standing flat-foot. St.iir -i- who allow licit sorl of thing are i • lea 1 1 1 fii for ili'ii position, but. despite the -it--ueje-i criticism, it odours at meetme ling A very pleasing contrast ( O'Cnmior's starting at Tie eh.mi. v. here < ; ■■client starts areex d with a minimum of rielav. For orne time tin-; efbii' iui-.e lire-, made le a pi mil il merit of raeoeontrol of the Radii ■ ('(lUi i*> -. :!:< e. -- sltcei'ss in that direr- ■ ■ ii XVI I! obtain far more sn tisfac-tory suits than i he present .system und< r "■ beli each club soli a- or neglects to "Inain a tie; e. a i vo. ! he r-onff -retice lias <b ■:dad to vote a sum of not less th m --or pel a uni'm toxvai - the new e-.xs-teni. whi-dl it i- imped wi'l rid rneecoui s,-s of ail, who 1 if g f ! ' - vei'o , ,| ( |,(. ' I' edin Jockey ('bib’s mi ion 1 hat the :■ ' be rr vised, regrouped, comr letoly it; | and supplied with marginal notes 1. Mr A. U. It -'U-xii acted a.-, its and stilted a Ptr-*n-g ease e„ behalf ~f the motion. The annual alterations, addition?, and subtrac-

t.ions, which has been going on for shears past, still, fortunately, leaves the rules clear enough to those few thoroughly conversant) with them, hut Mr Hanlon is anxious that they should be made so to the ordinary layman, who sometimes has to hastily consult racing law to find out the why and wherefor of some case which requires Ins attention. Tt goes without .-ayiug that the suggested improvement will be very muen appreciated by everyone who has to occasionally look up some point in racing law. QUESTIONS OF FACT. The chief principle to bo observed in altering or constructing a rule to assist in governing racing or trotting is to frame it in simple, clear-cut language, which makes- it easy of interpretation, definite, and travelling as far towards finality as possible. This point must always be observed, or different constructions .will be placed on a rule, and leads to appeals, strife, and further attempts at the tinkering and amendment of the rule. They seem to do very well in Australia, where more important events are decided than in the Dominion, without a long list of annual alterations and amendments to the Rules of Racing, and why should not some finality be reached here. It seems, however, impossible to reach a point of finality with some people. There is no rule more clearly cut than that which governs questions of fact, and yet the Trotting Association wish to break its power — the power of a good sane rule —and suggests that it should be altered. The Trotting Association furthermore shows weakness and disregard of the Rules of Trotting by issuing instructions to club; that appeals must be accepted in all cases. The Rule on Questions of Fact has stood the test of years, it contains a specified finality which clubs are bound to obey, and the association cannot force a club to go beyond the finality laid down by the rules. If the association displayed a similar weakness in regard to other rules finality would be impossible, and appeals would coine tumbling in on it like a fall of stage snow. This would be the result of meddling with a go-od, plain, solid rule which is practically impossible to improve. The Trotting Association is subject to the Rules of Trotting, and where an appeal cannot be accepted under the rules it travels beyond its jurisdiction in claiming that such appeals must be leceived. PR 'TURING PROGRESS. The annual meeting of the Dunedin Jockey Club takes place this month, and recalls the fact that the first race meeting was held at Wingatui in March. 1899. It is very interesting to look back to the early days of the -Wingatui course and note rile progress made since the club first ‘ pitched its tent” on the ground. The prize-money during the opening season at Wingatui amounted to £6OOO, or about a fifth of the total given during the present season. It was whilst turning over some old records that the writer renewed acquaintance with some interesting photos of the course in its early history. The almost forgotten range cl boxes in the middle of the saddling paddock then in existence would be totally inadequate at the present day. Another picture shows Monsohikoff the winner of the first Champagne. Stakes run at Wingatui. and here, again, is Vladimir and Machine Gun, who followed in the footsteps of the flying son of Stepniak. Machine Gun was a raking big two-year-old, and lie i« shown by a well-preserved photo taken close to the high board fence which in these days, surrounded the paddock. Here is a snap of the old picket-fenced birdcage, with Machine Gun trotting back to the scales. In the background is the old uncovered stewards’ stand with it? very limited accommodation. A very interesting snap shows the Sate Sir George M'Lean. Mr R. O i. 'ampbell, and Mr J. Cook sitting in conversation on the verandah. Another view show's the old totalisafor house sporting five receiving windows, but ir was nevertheless sufficient to cope with the requirements of the comparatively limited attendance of those days. A view of Orloff strolling home in the Dunedin Cup of 1903 remind; one that the Stepniak—Sortie gelding was one of the cracks of his time. Another snap shows the field unsaddling after Slepdantes N first Cup. The late M; j. Jens, clock of the s Mi:-e, is. mounted on n cream-col -cared hock, the lite Mr J. Buckley and other- are in the foreground, v.hi’.-i on the balionv i- “Did Identity” and "Si-:ii:nel.’’ the fuli strength of the press gallery on that day. Another iriimiph of the earner; slu - - the late Mi J Hazlt •tt in comers;; ion with th • late Si, Georg'' MT.' it:. Mr Miller i- , entering the stewards room and walking out of the picture U Mr Ewing, who was the “man in the box” of those day-. In the foreground is Mr L. C. ITazlel; and Mr IV. T. Hazlett chatting to some friends. Here, again, is Bulawayo, followed by Rod Gauntlet renting back to the scales ;fter being the leaders in the field of the Oup of 1904. Doze tis of snaps of bygone cracks in action are in the collection. Goldspur and Blazer, two of the smartest sprinters ever seen in New Zealand, are amongst them. Pampero, another goo,] horse: St. Denis is also there. The late K. Units and Sir George Clifford are interested •spectators of a successful bearer of the bine and gold chequers being- unsaddled after the fray, and many old-time memories of bygone spuds are revived by seeing them in ail their glory in the early Wingatui days. Some are pictured who are still going strong and amongst tile present-day regulars, but it would take a page or two to “tick them off.” The photos are very interesting, as they show wh.it might he termed the pictorial progress of the spun at our metropolitan headquarter-, and the march is further a"-'s‘!itended when one takes a look at a i "bird s eve view ” of the I 1 orburv Bark course when p. like n much advert is- d medicine, "was going strong,” snapshots taken during the ping, ex, or n present-day Wingutui meeting with it- well-filled -rands and crowded lawn prove that the old Forbttry course could not pns.-tb!;, accommodate the numerical strength of the patronage bestowed on our Metropolitan im-e: ing-, and 1 as time goes on the ■hinge of ir ti .nr-, if practically a forced move, has be--n amply ; compensated for the ad v:m» =iur v* - cloiiveu from the chnmre.