INCOMPETENT DRIVERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16790, 20 July 1922, Page 2

INCOMPETENT DRIVERS.

All licenses to ride, drive, and train under the Netr Zealand Rules of Trot, ting will expire at the end of the present month and those who contemplate continuing in any of the three professions will require to apply for renewals. It is opportune, therefore, to refer to the large amount of incompetent riding and driving that has taken place during the sea-son now closing. The evidences of faulty training are naturally not so apparent, but cases could be mentioned in which hordes have started in races when their education, quite apart from fitness to race, was far from complete. The trotting sport has now reached such a level that it is only those who ar2 fully competent in their professions who can ’hope to be successful. Races, especially those to which large stakes are attached, are becoming harder am! harder to win and the slightest mistake on the part of horse or rider or driver means the difference between success and failure. The somewhat indiscriminate issue, in the past, of iiTenses to ride and drive has brought about a state of affairs which promises to have a tendency towards falsely run race? and to bring about a good deal of unpleasantness. There a .re many riders who should not have been licensed and they consist of two kinds. Firstly, there is the older hand, who has lost his ability and nerve through age. but who has not yet realised it, and then there is the totally incompetent youngster, who has yet to learn. When some of each kind are found in saddle races the spectacle is witnessed of horses being beaten who should race far more prominently. Rut the fault is not so pronounced in saddle races. because the artistry that is required in harness driving is not so necessary. In the best harness races a poor or incompetent driver can spoil a race, not only by hie inability to do the best for bis own hor9e but by causing trouble to the other competitors. Many of the present day reinsmen are artists in the sulky, and at the conclusion of a race there is often a meeting when they discuss the contest and criticise, quite justly, an incompetent opponent. The deliberate foul and unfair driver does not enter into the argument—it is held that officials should punish him—but the accidentally careless or incompetent driver is held to be even worse* than his deliberate brother-reinsman. because, as one driver recently remarked. "There are more of them.” It is recognised that the Licensing Committee of the Trotting Association has a hard task in front of it, but one way towards a better state of things would be for that committee to enlist the aid of the stipendiary stewards, with a request that the paid officials should report any cases of incompetent riding and driving, with an assurance that action would be takeu. There is altogether too much taken for granted in tho trotting sport and were careful consideration given to what is common property in many cases, there would soon be a decided improvement, especially in harness races.

Acceptances for the W aim ate Hunt meeting will close at nine o'clock tonight. Acceptances for the three principal races and nominations for the minor events at the Canterbury Jockey Club s Grand National meeting are due at eight o'clock to-morrow night. The heavy rain which has fallen this week lias “left the Ricoarton tracks and their approaches in a very mucki> condition again, and the conditions aie not likely to improve very much during the next few days. The outside of the trial grass was open for fast work this morning, and the trainers welcomed the chance of stretching out their charges on this track, though nat-urallv is was heavy. Most of the galloping was confined to sprinting tasks. Royal Mac the first to appear, reeling off a miles in lmin 48 2-saec. Ho maintained an even pace all the way, finishing strongly, and ns he carried a good weight-, it was a very attractive performance. Horatius held Lank Up comfortably at the and of a useful spin over half a mile. Royal Star beat All British comfortably over half a mile in 53 2-ssec. Zmmr. ran half a mile alone in 54sec, while Macduff easily defeated Load Leslie over the same ground in 54 1-oeec. Red Hind and Distant Shot were companions in a half-mile sprint up the back. Here wear© and Sonny covered a. mile in lmin 53 S-oeoc. with the former going the better of the pair at the finish. Economist and The Reaver were associated over six furlongs, which they ran in lmin 21 3-osee. Economist showed a lot of speed in the early stages, but they were on terms at the finish, with both going comfortably.