CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 53, 30 July 1891, Page 3

CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES.

The Conference of the Delegates from the different Metropolitan Clubs of New Zealand have concluded their duties, and from the accounts to hand they have really done, very little to benefit racing; it will require a good many more Conferences before they can make the present Rules of Racing either suitable or workable. The following new rules were passed : — I. No horse in whose ownership any paid official of a race meeting or any person engaged in working the Totansator thereat has any interest shall be qualified to start at such meeting. Any such person so entering oi starting a horse shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Z’ioo. Provided that nothing in this Rule shall pi event the breeder of a colt or filly from entering the same when a foal or yearling in weight-for-age races.

Messrs. F. Hill and W. Proffitt waited on the Conference, and asked that this Rule should not come into force until January 5, 1892, so as to enable them to get rid of their horses. Mr. Clifford proposed January 1. Mr. Lyon moved as an amendment January 31. The former was finally carried ; so January 1, 1892, is the date fixed for this Rule coming into force. This Rule was much required, but in our opinion it does not go far enough, as it should exclude any persons connected with the totalisator from owning or having any. interest in horses, but as at present worded it will soon give rise to a dispute, as the rule does, not state distinctly what constitutes a paid official. 2. All partnerships and the name and address of every person having any interest in a horse, the relative proportions of such interest, and the terms of any sale with contingencies lease or arrangement must be signed by all the parties, and registered with the Secretary of the Metropolitan District within which such horse is trained, before a horse sold with contingencies or leased or which is a joint property can be entered or start for any race, and the document shall state with whom the power of entry or declaration of forfeits rests, and all partners shall be jointly and severally liable for every stake or forfeit. Such registration shall be communicated to the Secretary of any Metropolitan Club who shall by direction of his Committee or Stewards require the same.

This Rule is really a good one, but the wording of it is rather obtuse for many of those engaged in racing in this Colony. 3. At any meeting held on any date from the Ist September to the 30th April not more than eight races shall be included in any day’s programme, and from the Ist May to the 31st August not more than seven races shall be included in any day’s programme.

Why such a Rule should have been passed by the Conference is more than one can understand. It should be left to the different Committees to decide the number of races to be run; it is only a question at what hour they commence, and that time is punctually kept. It is quite evident that none of the Delegates have attended a Houghton meeting at Newmarket, when as many as a dozen and even more races have been run in one day. 4. Within 14 days after any race meeting the Secretary of such meeting shall forward to the Secretary of the Metropolitan Club a race book or card showing the full particulars of such meeting, including the names of the riders, overweight carried, fines imposed, &c. This Rule is a useful one, but should have been settled by the different Metropolitan Clubs in their own bye-laws. The following Rules were amended :— Rule 46. —“That the words ‘ unless otherwise specified ’ are struck out, and after the word ‘ winner’ in the third line the following words are inserted : ‘ Except in case of a dead heat, in which event the penalty shall be calculated on the amount payable to the winners less any second or third money divided by such winners (also see Rule 121).’ ”

This amendment makes the Rule very plain. Rule 38. —“No horse shall carry less than 6st in any weight-for-age race, or 6st ylb in any handicap on the flat.”

Raising the lowest weight from 6st to 6st 71b is the best Rule that was passedbut why should the word handicap be included; it should mean all races, and many would have liked to have seen the English Rule amalgamated, i.e.f That if the highest weight accepting is under Bst 121 b it shall be raised to that, and others in proportion.

Rule 21. — “That the word ‘special’ bestruck out of the second line and that the following words be added, ‘ which license shall be granted only upon special grounds.” This in reality leaves the Rule the same as it was before.

Rule 98. —The words “ the'first of them shall be considered as the time of starting for that race ” are struck out.

This is a further complication of matters.

Rule 4.—“ The word ‘ respectively ’ is inserted after the word ‘ Steeplechase ’on the fourth line.” j( The same remarks apply to this amendment. As far as the new Rules and amendments are concerned there is not much to say in their favour, with the one exception of raising the minimum weight to 6st 71b ; this ought to have been done long ago. What is required—and that urgently—is a thorough revision of the Rules of Racing, so as to put. them in an intelligible form. We are quite sure that as they now read not one racing man in a hundred can arrive at a correct decision. There are two ways to arrive at the result, either to get a competent committee of three with a good lawyer to go through the Rules and revise them, or adopt either the English or Australian rules.

We now come to an important question that was brought up, z’.e., the formation of a New Zealand Jockey Club ; this is what is greatly required. After a long discussion it was resolved (a).. That this Conference under the authority delegated to it by the Metropolitan Clubs hereby institute the New Zealand Jockey Club, to come into existence on the Ist January, 1892 ; (b) That Messrs. Bell, Clifford, McLean, Mitchelson and Captain Russell be appointed a sub-committee to prepare the drafts of a Constitution and Rules for the New Zealand Jockey Club, which shall first be submitted to the several Metropolitan Clubs, and. considered at an adjourned meeting-of the Conference to be held at Christchurch in November next. Mr. McLean said the Dunedin Jockey Club was so much adverse to the motion that he declined to discuss it, and retired; afterwards he declined having his name put on the subcommittee. The following resolutions were also passed : That the sub-committee should draft a letter to the dissenting Club setting forth the decision come to, and stating that the object is mainly to form a Court of Appeal, and that the decision to postpone calling the body into existence has been arrived at to give the dissenting Club further time for consideration, with the hope that they may by November be prepared to join the new body and take part in forming its constitution and rules. That the amended Rules of Racing come into force on Ist October, 1891, without prejudice to thenexistingrights and liabilities, except Rule 67A, and the Rule relating to partnerships, which, will come into force on the Ist January, 1892. That the Conference, having their attention called to programmes issued by'Trotting Clubs, in which are included “ pony races,” desire to call the attention of the Hon the Colonial Secretary to the fact that such “pony races” are devices.'to enable racing to be carried on without the safeguards afforded by the Rules of Racing and the strict supervision of the Metropolitan Clubs; that a letter be written to the Colonial Secretary, convey- • ing a copy of these resolutions, and respectfully requesting that he will not grant the right to use the totalisator 'to any trotting club which includes any other than trotting races in its programme. - That, the payment of the expenses of this Conference be left to the discretion of the chairman, with authority to make a levy on each Metropolitan Club to defray the same. * That this Conference do adjourn to the Jockey Club Rooms, Christchurch, the day after the New Zealand Cup day, 1891. This brought the Conference to a close, and it is to be hoped at the next meeting something permanent may be decided upon, as the continual alterations make it so confusing that the cleverest man may get trapped. *