Sporting Review. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1891.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 75, 31 December 1891, Page 5

Sporting Review. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1891.

“ Ring out the old year, ring in the new,” will be the watchword of one and all throughout New Zealand to-day. The vicissitudes through which our many readers have passed during the year, now drawing to a close have, we feel sure, been of a most varied character In our last issue we referred to the recent depression, which doubtless has caused many a eh.nge. Many will, no doubt, look back over the past year with nought but feelings of sorrow, arising from many different causes — friends and relatives dead , money and place lost or surrendered; numerous misdeeds performed and excesses indulged in. On the other hand some may have experienced a mixture of pleasure and pain, whilst others again have only a continued line of pleasure to look back and meditate upon. To all those who have been visited by sickness, sorrow, or death, we take this opportunity of extending our heartfelt sympathy and. consolation, and would here express the- hope that the new year, upon which we are now entering, will be unmarred by any traces of sadness'I’or 1 ’or sorrow. To all whose pleasure and pain have been mixed, we wish a year of unmixed blessings; whilst those whose pleasure has been continuous, we hope may preserve their hitherto unbroken line. As in tne ordinary, so in the racing and sporting world. Many persons connected with all kinds of sport have experienced similiar “ ups and downs ”; some mixed, others unmixed successes during the year. To each and all of them we offer the same hearty good wishes as mentioned above. Trusting our readers have had a right merry Christmas, we now “ ring out the old year ” with all its old sorrows and griefs, and “ ring in the new year ” with its new joys and rejoicings, finally expressing the desire that, to all our readers, 1892 will assuredly prove A Happy New Year.

We beg to call the attention of the stewards of the Auckland Racing Club to Rule 67A, which according to the Rules of Racing, as adopted by the Metropolitan Clubs in New Zealand, dated November, 1891, is now in force. It reads thus : — 67A. No horse in whose ownership any paid official of a race meeting or any person engaged in working the Totalisator thereat has any interest shall be qualified to start at such meeting. Any such person so entering or starting a horse shall be liable to a fine not exceeding j£ioo, provided that nothing in this Rule shall prevent the bleeder of a colt or filly from entering the same when a foal or yearling in weight for age races. , We have reason to suppose that some horses entered for the Ist and 2nd January come under this rule.

We have several times had occasion to call attention to the incopmetent and loose way some country stewards carry out their duties, thus giving trainers the chance of evading the rules. Such a case occurred at the late South Auckland race meeting, held at Hamilton. In the conditions of the South Auckland Cup it was stated “ a winner of any race of the advertised value of sosovs. to carry 71b extra.” J. B. Williamson took up and ran Tulloch, and F. McManemin Ingorina, though both of them had incurred penalties, the former for winning the Avondale Cup, and the

latter for winning the Onehunga Cup. Neither carried the 71b penalty, though the stewards asked them if they had not to carry penalties. The former said “ No,” and the latter followed suit, the other starters at the time declaring that if they ran second they would object; Rule 43 reads: “In all cases where penalties have to be carried for running, it shall be the duty of the owner, trainer, or jockey, to notify the same to the secretary, when possible, twenty-four hours before the race, or in any case half an hour prior to the start. Any person neglecting to comply with this rule shall pay a fine to be imposed by the stewards not exceeding 5 sovs.” Surely this is plain enough for any one to act upon. The question may be asked what was their object in acting in- this manner ? The answer is simple enough ; they either were not trying, or knew they had no chance, and hoped to “ bluff” the handicapper for future events. 1 his is a practice that should be stopped by peremptory measures, as the evil may grow. Some of the trainers are too fond of trying to bounce country stewards. We are sure that the infliction of a fine would do no harm in cases of this kind.