Sporting Review. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1893.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IV, Issue 162, 31 August 1893, Page 4

Sporting Review. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1893.

In our issue of July 27 we mentioned that the committee of the Australian Jockey Club intended bringing forward at the annual meeting of the members of that body certain resolutions with reference to pony racing, and we published the various proposals, which were of a very stringent nature. As we predicted, when the annual meeting was held on the 15th inst. the ‘ pony brigade ’ found plenty of representation, and such a firm attitude did they assume that the A.J.C. committee were forced to give way. Mr M. J. Macnamara, who had given notice of the proposals, said that he was acting on behalf of the committee, by the members of which the proposals had been approved after much consideration and discussion. In reference to the licensing of trainers, he thought pony racing was not a sport in the proper sense of the term, and its history suggested that it was particularly conducive to fraud. The way ponieswere measured was simply a disgrace to the people concerned. They were stretched out fore and hind and were dishonestly classed. He was of opinion that they ought not to allow the turf to be contaminated by such a low form of racing. With regard to the trainers, he said that if pony racing was associated with fraudulent practices it was undesirable to permit horse-trainers to be connected with it all, and for the same reason jockeys should be kept away from it. During the year 138 race meetings had been held in the Metropolitan district, irrespective of Liverpool and Lillie Bridge, and of this number 65 were racehorse and 73 pony meetings. He then moved the amendment proposed to Rule 1, the effect of which was to include the words ‘ pony and galloway ’ and a definition of their meaning for the purposes of the club’s rules. After some discussion, the motion was put to the vote and was lost, 39 voting for it and 48 against, so the committee were beaten, and Mr MacNamara obtained leave to withdraw the other propositions standing in his name.

The question of pony racing, and how it is to be conducted, has become a vital one in the Auckland district now. The Australian Jockey Club, as shown above, have attempted to embrace pony-racing within the scope of their jurisdiction and have failed. How will the functions of the Auckland Racing Club and Auckland Trotting Club as regards the lilliputians be reconciled ? Remembering what the Auckland Racing Club’s committee tried to do in connection with pony racing two or three years ago, the members of the present committee who voted for the introduction of pony races into the Club’s programme may be interested in the following remarks of the Sydney Referee : —

"We have contended from the first that the A.J.C. committee have not gone the right way in dealing with the question of pony racing. What they ought to have done from the first, and should do now, is to recognise pony-racing, not ignore it. If they pretend to ignore it, why meddle with it at all ? Clearly their position, as embodied in Mr MacNamara’s proposals, is untenable. If the A.J.C. took control of pony-racing, the same as they do horse-racing, their position would be different. They could allot dates for the Associated Clubs’ pony meetings and could appoint their own official measurer.

At the annual meeting of the A.J.C. the Hon. W. A. Long gave an amusing sketch of how some ponies were measured, which, in the light of what we are cognisant of as regards some New Zealanders now located in Sydney, will be interesting to our readers. About six weeks ago, Mr Long stated, he watched a galloway being measured at Fennelly’s Bazaar. The fore-legs were gradually stretched out and then the hind-legs, after which preliminary the stand was employed to ascertain the height. Having

seen the ponies passed in that way, said Mr Long, he was able to correctly appreciate a newspaper paragraph in which a New Zealand writer referred to the classing of Tit as a pony, winding up with the query, ‘ How do they do it, we wonder ? ’ These be words of wisdom, indeed. But we honestly believe that the measuring of ponies in Auckland is honestly and fairly conducted. Long may it continue. That gross abuses have crept in to the measuring department in Sydney cannot be gainsaid.