Sporting Review SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1891.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 39, 25 April 1891, Page 3

Sporting Review SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1891.

IT is currently reported that the A.R.C. Committee have requested their Secretary to make some suggestions as regards the alteration of the Rules of Racing for the benefit of their delegate at the forthcoming Conference of the Metropolitan Clubs.' Therefore we beg to suggest, not only to the delegate of the Auckland Racing Club, but also to all other delegates, some alterations in the rules that from long

practical experience we are sure will prove beneficial, as at present some of the rules are incomprehensible. We will now go through the rules that require attention. Rule 4. —A “ maiden ” means a horse which has never won an advertised plate or sweepstake on the fist. A maiden hurdle or steeplechase horse is one that has never won an advertised hurdle race or steeplechase. A maiden means a maiden at the .time of start. ( Vide Rule 50.) Rule 50.—Conditions referring to maiden allowances shall mean maidens at the time of start unless specially provided for to the contrary. These two rules might well be amalgamated, which would greatly simplify the reading of them, explaining distinctly, “ Maidens at the time ofstart, unless provided for to the contrary.” Rule 19. —“ The stewards, in case of urgent necessity, may from time to time put off any races from day to day, or for such time as they may deem expedient, notwithstanding a Sunday intervening.” “Incase of urgent necessity.” The meaning of these words should be properly defined, as there are many meetings postponed on account of a little rain or dull weather with squalls—in fact, anything that might militate against takings at the gates. This is manifestly unfair, for some horses like dirt while others do not. Besides that, a clever trainer, and one that thoroughly understands his work, has his horse fit and trained to the day. Then, because the chances are that the gate will not be good enough, the races are postponed, perhaps for a week; in the meantime your horse goes off. We have known instances where the stewards have postponed races for a week because at ten o'clock in the morning it has been raining— at the same time there was every prospect of the weather clearing, as the wind had changed and the sky become clearer, Is there any genuine racing man that would object to a little rain ? If some of the stewards paid a visit to the Oarholme or Aintree in the Spring, or Newmarket Heath during the Autumn Meetings, and at the same time owned horses, perhaps they would not be so squeamish about a drop of rain. Rule 39.- Two-year-olds shall not be allowed to start in any race over a distance exceeding six furlongs prior to the Ist February, nor in any race exceeding seven furlongs after that date ; nor shall any two-year-old be allowed to run in any handicap in which horses of other ages are engaged. This rule takes a good deal of consideration, and in our opinion should be framed so that no two-year-old, prior to the Ist February, should be allowed to start in any race exceeding a dis tance of six furlongs or in a handicap with horses of different ages. After that date they should be allowed to run any distance, but not in handicaps with horses of different ages a distance exceeding one mile. Our experience • shows us that it does not hurt running a matured two-year-old over a distance of ground, arid no proper trainer would think of doing so with an overgrown one. In England, thirty and forty years ago, two-year-olds ran all distances up to three miles. There are many who will remember different Nurseries one mile, notably at Goodwood, Doncaster First and Second Nurseries, Newmarket, and, many others of the same description. Umpire won the Goodwood Nursery, and immediately became a favourite for the Derby. Victorious also beat a large field for it, carrying either 9st or 9st 71b, the lowest weight being sst 71b. There were also the F eather Plate at Newmarket, three miles, the Lord-Dieutenant Plate at the Curragh, one and a half miles, and many other races over a distance of ground that w ere worth winning. In those days there were many real stayers, such as Harkaway, Rataplan, Grapeshot, Kingston, Fisherman, and many others that could be mentioned. The Whip at Newmarket often in those days was challenged for, and a race was the result. At the present time stayers are very scarce in England. Old trainers say that the reason is owing to the great increase of sprint races and the valuable stakes for two-year-olds over short courses ; the consequence is they are cracked up before they are matured. Another reason is, there are not sufficient long-distance races to keep a good one for, and all trainers know that if you train a horse for long distances they generally lose their speed. Coming nearer home, Australian two-year-olds are not Emited to seven furlongs. In the weight-forage scale

they have their weight allotted to them all the year round up to a mile and a half, and there are better older horses running and better stayers than in any part of the world. In France they encourage running two-year-olds a distance in the autumn; in fact, the Government go in for long-distance races by offering prizes. There you will find better stayers than in the United Kingdom, though they are all of English blood. We are perfectly convinced in our own mind that if there were more long races and some mile Nurseries introduced into the programmes that there would not be so many weeds running in New Zealand and that the general breed of horses would be improved. Let it be tried for a year or so. Rule 38. —No horse shall carry less than 6st in any race on the flat, or 9st in any hurdle race, or 9st 71b in any steeplechase. The weight on the flat might be raised with advantage to 6st 71b. How many handicaps are run where you see many pounds overweight declared among the lower weights, thereby nullifying the handicapper’s attempt to bring horses together ? In England, where there are a hundred races to one that is here, boys that can ride 6st are very scarce and command high retainers. We have known as much as a thousand pounds and contingencies given for the call of Jimmy Grimshaw and Sam Kenyon when they could ride sst 71b. Kitchener’s retainer was a large sum, especialiy in his day. But in New Zealand let us ask how many boys there are who can scale six stone that can sit. a horse, much less manage and properly finish in a race on one ? Look through races past and you will find that welter handicaps generally command the largest fields. The reason is easily understood —owners can get jockeys, not children to ride their horses, therefore they can put their money on with confidence, not being afraid of having the race thrown away at the finish by bad riding. Then, again, when there is a fatal accident, such as the one at Caulfield, the cause is generally traced to an incompetent boy not being able to manage his horse.. There can be no just argument for not raising the weight to 6st 71b—it has been done in Australia. It is our intention to go through the remainder of the Rules next week.