TROTTING

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume IX, Issue 690, 28 May 1903, Page 18

TROTTING

FIXTURES. May 30 and June 4—Tahuna Park T.C. Winter June 3—South Wairarapa Charitable T.O. Annual

Mr W. Tozer has left for Greytown, Wairarapa, to attend the Trotting Meeting there, taking with him Pert Huon, Durbar and Peter, who will be started in several events.

Sierra will compete at the Greytown Trotting Meeting. Mr F. Murpeth left with the horse on Sunday last.

The suggestion for alteration of rules is to come before the Conference at Christchurch on June 1.

An alteration in the mode of handicapping trotting races has taker? place in New South Wales, since the formation of the New Trotting Association in that State. Formerly it has been the custom of calling the limit horse scratch, with others so many seconds behind scratch, but the new ruler will be the same as adopted by the New Zealand Trotting Clubs, the limit horse receiving so many seconds from the last or scratch horse starting. Handicappers and others, when comparing results or performances, would do well to note the date of such performance, so as to ascertain whether the handicap or start was from behind or before the scratch horse. # #

The following item comes from Hot Springs, Arkansas :—“ Mart Demarest, the t.rainpr of that reliable pacer Prince Alert, is more than anxious to take on the unbeaten Dan Patch for a race, with a big bundle of money as a side bet. Demarest is very sweet on the Prince, and thinks that, there is no pacer in the world as gamfl asi his. What makes it look as; if the Prince had a chance ;o belt the 1 acing marvel is that the Demarest horse paced a mile with ease at Memphis in 2min directly after Dan Patch had gone in. 2min -4-sec in an effort to beat the world’s record.” I like the idea of Prince Alert doing a mile in 2min “ with ease.” No doubt it was the timekeeper who was taking things easilv.

Among the alterations made in the Rules of Trotting by the last Trotting Conference were two additions relating to the registration of horses. In addition to altering Rule 126, so as to provide that registration mllst be completed “ before acceptance,” it was laid down that “ Registration must include the names of all persons who are interested in a horse leased.” A new clause, 126 a, was added, which reads as follows : —“ Any owner selling a registered horse or pony must notify the Association of same within; fourteen days from the date of sale, failwhich he shall be subject to a fine by the Association of £10.” Perhaps owing to the fact that these new clauses were adopted less than twelve months ago, owners have not been very careful in comply,ng with their provisions. The registration forms have not always included the names of all persons interested in a leased horse, and sales of registered horses have frequently been announced in the public Press without official notification Laving been sent to the Association. The question was referred to at . the meeting of the governing body last week (says the " Weekly Press ”), and the two rules in question will be strictly enforced in future. The importance of these rules is apparent, Rule 126 a being of especial value in en--1 abling the Association to trace the movements <yi registered horses, and thus check “ ringing-in.” -X- -x- -xThe American Trotting Register Association’s qualifications for a standardbred trotter are as follows 1: The progeny of a registered standard trotting horse, and a registered standard trotting mare. 2. A stallion sired by a registered standard trotting horse, provided his dam and granddam were sired by registered stan-dard-bred horses, and he himself has a trotting record of 2.30, and is the sire of three trotters, with records of 2.30 from different mares. 3. A mare whose sire is a. registered standaid trotting horse, and whose dam and granddam were sired by registered standard trotting horses, provided she herself has a trotting record of 2.30, or is the dam of one trotter with a record of 2.30. 4. A mare sired by a registered standard trotting horse, provided she is the dam of two trotters with records uf 2.30. 5. A mare sired by a registered standard trotting horse, provided her first, second - and third dams, are each sired by registered standard trotting horses. The pacing standard is built on the same lines as the trotting standard, but reducing the time limit to 2.25.