THE SPORT OF TROTTING

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1929, Page 5

THE SPORT OF TROTTING

MEETING OF CONFERENCE PRESIDENT REVIEWS SEASON. AMENDMENT OF LAWS DESIRED. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. During the season some notable track performances were recorded, stated the annual report delivered to the Trotting Conference to-day. At the August meeting of the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club, Native Chief paced a mile in 2min. 7 l-sscc., establishing time better than any previously registered in the world under saddle. At the same meeting Pcterwah won the August Handicap in 4min. 33 4-ssee., constituting a world’s race record in two miles by an unhoppled trotting horse. In November, again on the Addington track, still another world’s record was broken. This time it was by Peter Bingen who, after winning the New Zealand Cup, won the Free for All in 2min. 38 4-ssec., for a mile and aquarter. Three such achievements in as many months are well worth remembering, and are proof of the high estate to which the sport is steadily climbing. It is sometimes imagined that America is the only country to which we should look for trotting blood, but it must not be forgotten that in Europe, Russia had its breed of trotters, the Orloffs, before America thought of producing the national horse, and prior to the revolution was far ahead of America in the magnitude of its prize money and the importance of its racecourses. Horse racing in Holland and Denmark is confined wholly to trotting. AustriaHungary, Germany, France and Italy were great trotting centres prior to the war, and the light harness sport is now fast regaining its reputation. "When the Orloff trotter was at its apex in Russia, the leading breeders made an effort to prohibit thp importation of American blood, and, according to an American paper, it would appear France has taken up that attitude, for —“it is stated that the triumphs _ of Uranic, the French trotting champion, in Austria and Italy, have created the greatest sensation in European trotting circles, and as a consequence French trotting blood has gained vastly in prestige.” STIPENDIARY STEWARDS. At our last conference we welcomed the three newly commissioned stipendiary stewards, Messrs. Beer, Commons and Reid, and now that fifteen months have passed since their appointment, we can consider in what manner they have carried out their engagement. I do not propose to suggest their work has been faultless, but all club officials who have come in contact with these officers on a racecourse will testify to their sincerity and earnestness of purpose in doing the right thing by the sport, and to their increasing capabilities and knowledge of their business. One of the proposed new rules is that which would give the stipendiary stewards more power to deal with minor offences. The executive would not have proposed this if it had not been that they had watched the work of these officers attentively since their appointment, and had come to the conclusion that they were trustworthy and could be relied upon to justify the confidence this extra obligation would entail. We are apt to take for granted the well-regulated order upon the racecourses, the universal good behaviour of those attending, and the absence of objectionable characters at our meetings, but we should not forget that these results have been attained only through the constant and unobtrusive supervision of the racecourse inspectors, whose keen attention to their duties and comprehension of their work deserve thanks.

One does not wish to belabour this subject unduly, yet it is impossible for this conference to meet without stressing the necessity for some relief in taxation. Many of our clubs are severely troubled over finance, and, so far, not having succeeded in being able to obtain the allowance in Government taxation to which we believe they are entitled, they have been forced to reduce stakes in the endeavour to pay their way. This supposed remedy, however, has in nearly every case only increased the burden, resulting as it does in a decline in the support of owners and trainers, and in a loss of interest by the public. PRESSURE OF TAXATION. It is difficult to understand why some fair rebate is not granted. The revenue received by the Government from racing, trotting and hunt clubs, free of all costs for collection, is so substantial, amounting to £580,511 last year, that to the business mind one would expect that such a source of steadily flowing income would be sympathetically dealt with and encouraged, rather than h* treated with the phlegmatic disregard experienced in the past. There is reason to believe that under the regime of the new Parliament, and with the support of the energetic and capable Minister of Internal Affairs, the cry of the country clubs will be heard, and that more consideration will be given to their needs.

The racing public are not politicians or supporters of any particular party, yet it must naturally follow that they will look with favour upon the party which aids them in their proper progress. We see and welcome on our racecourses members of Parliament of all three political parties, and is it not up to those who enjoy our sport to do their best in assisting us _ with that legislation which the racing, trotting and hunt clubs have decided is necessary in order that we may be able to carry on satisfactorily? Our foundations are economic, and with the present heavy taxation eating into our vitals, the chibs of the Dominion are not progressing as they would do with easier finance. The majority of those successful at the last election recognise the necessity for the repeal of certain legislation prejudicial to fair play, and the Minister of Internal Affairs has publicly expressed his approval of the reforms we desire. The Prime Minister has stated that Parliament will be afforded an opportunity of dealing with the questions during the coming session, and unless obstructive tactics prevail the prospects for success with the present Parliament are good. It must, however, be borne in mind that prejudiced extremists are at all times actively engaged in opposing our interests. I therefore have no hesitation in asking you td give

support to the New Zealand Sports Protection League in the work which it has in hand. BAN ON PUBLICATION. \ It is sincerely hoped that the new Parliament will remove the ban on the publication of dividends; this, and the law which prevents clubs from accepting investments- from beyond the course are restrictions upon sport which have entirely failed to attain the objects desired by Parliament when they were passed. In looking for the removal of these restrictions we are only asking for the right to the full use of public facilities in the same manner as they are used by every other section of the community. The Archbishop of York recently said: “It is better to be a sympathetic sinner than a censorious righteous person,” and all those who have suffered from acidulated virtue will treasure his Lordship’s remark with relish. There is no need to comment further on our critics; they never fail to damage their cause by their wild statements and intemperate language, and so their influence does not radiate beyond their immediate circle. Early in this year a petition wag received, signed by the leading owners and trainers in the Dominion, requesting the executive to consider some method wherebv the anomalies at present existing in' handicapping could be rectified. The executive met and discussed the petition, and it was decided to call a meeting of some of the leading men in the sport, who had a thorough grasp of the working of the handicapping system in vogue, to consider whether a change was desirable, and, if so, what alterations would be expedient and acceptable to the clubs, owners and trainers. The committee came to a unanimous conclusion upon certain points, the main one being the principle that there should be a limitation of penalties for placed horses in a race, so that the extraordinary fault apparent in New Zealand of horses being often handicapped upon the state of the weather prevailing at the time of their performance, instead of upon their merits, should be checked and modified. The scheme devised by the assembly of experts met with the general approval of the executive, who considered it better —the annual conference being close at hand —to leave the matter until the opinions of the clubs concerned could be heard in debate, and a new rule is accordingly to be submitted for consideration, giving this conference, or its executive, power to make regulations for _ handicapping otherwise than by a special resolution. - LICENSING HANDICAPPERS. Another suggested new rule upon the order paper is that relating to the licensing of handicappers. The handicapper’s position is one of the most important in the realm of trotting, and it is questionable whether it is to the advantage of the sport that there should be an unlimited number of these officials operating at one time. It has been suggested that this conference should appoint the handicappers to clubs, but I doubt whether we have progressed so far as that yet, and in the meantime it may be sufficient if you grant power to your executive to license handicappers, thus raising their status and defining their position; With reference to a remit by the New Brighton Trotting Club concerning the right of appeal to the courts, there appears to be amongst us one or two who do not understand that self-depreciation is both a sign of weakness and a means to weakness. It impairs . confidence amongst ourselves and also amongst the people; it diminishes our good repute

and our energy. This conference is the ruling body of trotting, and,' if at any period it should lose the confidence of those directly interested, then the sport must deteriorate and lose that respect it at present commands. Our meeting to-day signalises the twenty-fifth anniversary of Mr. J. B. ~ Norris as secretary to the conference, and the trotting chibs of the Dominion have decided to mark the event by making him a presentation to commemorate their appreciation of his services. DISCUSSION OF THE REMITS. DISTRICT COMMITTEES PLAN. Wellington, July 9. On the ground that trotting could be carried on more efficiently and economi- „■ eally under the control of district committees, Mr. Irwin, on behalf of Otago, moved that the executive take steps to have the necessary alterations to rules drafted for submission to a further faceting of the Trotting Conference. Among the points made in opposition to the proposal was that it would do away with uniformity of penalty, and. that since the formation of one association the sport had been better conducted. The remit was lost by a large '.e majority. Rules 23 and 24., were amended in the direction of limiting the time for appeals from fourteen to ten days; preventing agents from appearing on behalf of appellants, except by leave of the appeal judges; and giving the judges power not to insist on the forfeiture of a deposit in the case of an unsuccessful appeal. Rule 184 was amended to provide, inter alia, for telephone or telegraphed entries, to be confirmed in writing within seven days, and do away with certain particulars not often in practice given at present. The amendment requires particulars of colours under which a horse is to bo raced. . . " A new rule was approved providing that the same driver must drive and -■ the same rider ride throughout a meeting; but if a change is made from saddle to harness, or vice versa, permission may be given for a change of horsemen. A new rule was passed providing for the granting of short-term and conditional licenses by the association. Minor alterations were made to a number of rules governing actual racing, particularly in regard to passing and interference. _ ; I TROTTING RACES REVIEWED. PUBLIC INVESTS £2,075,319. Wellington, July 9. A table presented to the annual confcrence of the trotting clubs showed that during the 1928-29 season 54 trotting meetings were held, 639 races were decided, the stake money amounted to £1.927,557 10s. . For trotting events at racing clubs meetings £12,076 was paid in stakes _-* and the totalisator investments were £147,761 10s. . ' In the aggregate the public invested £2,075,319°10s on trotting events.