“THE SPORT OF KINGS."

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXVI, Issue 18532, 14 July 1922, Page 2

“THE SPORT OF KINGS."

DANGER OF LARGE FIELDS. RACING CONFERENCE ADVOCATES DIVISION. SIR GEO. CLIFFORD’S SCHEME. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, July 13. Proposals for preventing accidents to jockeys were adopted by the Racing Conference. The Auckland Racing Club proposed that in eases where there were eight races on a day’s programme, the stewards or committee may, after acceptance, reduce or limit the number of starters by any equitable means, provided the means adopted and the procedure to give effect to such reduction or limitation shall have been approved by the President and advertised as part of the programme in the official calander. The Hon. Downie Stewart advised that he was not prepared to amend the existing law as proposed, as the Crown Law Office was of opinion that the division of fields would be a contravention of section 7 of the Gaming Act.

Mr F. Earl (Auckland), supported the. motion and referred to the recent Auckland meetings, in which more than 30 horsese were started on a course about a chain wide, and which provided reasonable spa&e for 25 runners. In such cases there was grave risk of accident. The record field in the Dominion cocurred at the Pakuranga Hunt Club meeting on September 17th, when 42 horses ran. Big fields were not liked by the public and were hated by jockeys? New Zealand was the only country in the world where races were not permitted to be run in divisions when the size of the fields created a danger. At Randwick, Ascot, and other Sydney courses divisions were allotted. If accidents occurred the public would be justified in accusing the Racing Conference of shirking its responsibility. The president, Sir George Clifford, said he had asked the Minister to introduce legisaltion. If an accident occurred the responsibility will be on the Legislature, not dn the Racing Conference. The Government should pass legisltion enabling racing clubs to make experiments during the coming season. The president submitted the following scheme, to be placed before the Minister: At no race meeting shall the totalisator be opened more than eight times in one day, nor shall there be more than eight races in any one day's programme as first advertised, exclusive of matches or private sweepstakes, to W'hich no prize money is added by the club, provided, however, that with the object of limiting the number of starters and thus minimising the risk of accidents, the stewards may, it the number of horses accepting for a race exceeds 20, order such race to be run in two divisions. The first division shall consist of the half of the field handicapped at the heavier weights, and the second division of the half handicapped at. lighter weights. In the case of an odd number of horses accepting, the race shall be divided so' that the greater number of horses shall start in the first division; in the case of a weight-for-age race or a race for : special weights, the division shall be i decided by lot; no race shall be . divided in which the added money i exceeds 1000 sovs. The president also suggested a consequential amendment to the rules and totalisator regulations. Both the Auckland Club’s remit and the president’s scheme were , adopted. i It was decided that the new rules drafted by the president be incorporated in the rules to be brought • into effect if necessary when author- ■ ity is obtained. s