CURRENT TOPICS.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XX, Issue 1124, 26 October 1911, Page 5

CURRENT TOPICS.

i he P.acing Commission Again. The 2nd report of the Racing Commission, as we anticipated, only confirmed the former recommendations. We contended all along that it was a waste of money and time to call the commissioners together a second time, for it was not to be supposed that they would condemn their first report by amending it, particularly as their recommendations had been acted on by the Government in issuing permits for the present season. The worst feature of the re-assembnng of the commissioners, however, is that the delay caused has rendered it practically impossible for the Gaming Act Amendment Bill, introduced by Mr. Jennings, to again com« before the House this Parliament.

The Attitude of the Commission.

The second report opens with a rerei ence to tne proposed omendment bill and reads: — The purport of the bill is to reinstate certain racing clubs whose days of racing were taken away by the commission under a special direction of the Legislature ordering a reduction of the days of racing by filty-iive. With certain exceptions we have no objections to offer to this proposal, as in our report we stated that we were unanimous in the opinion that the days of racing are not excessive to supply the requirements of so scattered a poulation. Comments upon the report showed that it has been misunderstood in some respects and that some of the commentators have, after glancing at the schedules, neglected to read the report upon which they were based.

Country Clubs and Metropolitan Outs The report then goes on to traverse a number of statements made by members, and remove misconceptions that have arisen over the first report issued. In referring to the contention that the 17 country clubs lost 43 days, and the eight metropolitan clubs lost only four days, the report states: — “This is a violent suppression of the true and suggestion of the false. The Commission did not consider the metropolitan clubs as such, but merely in relation to the due supply of facilities for racing in certain areas and for certain populations. These clubs were obviously the best appointed and best conducted in their own centres, and in curtailing the days at those centres they were therefore to some extent preferred. The fair comparison would be between the number of days withdrawn from metropolitan areas and from purely country districts.”

The Object of the Commission. ‘‘The effect of the report is to reduce the days of racing within fifteen miles of these centres of population (called for this purpose metropolitan) by twentyfreight, leaving twenty-isix days for the rest of the Dominion. There were 156 totalisator meetings, of which sixty-three were witbin the fifteen-mile radius of metropolitan centres. The sixty-three meetings within the fifteen mile radius of metropolitan centres lose twenty-eight days, while the remaining ninety-three meetings beyond the fifteen mile radius lose twenty-six, the proportion is therefore twenty-eight metropolitan days lost as against twenty-six by the country clubs, instead of the asserted four metropolitan to forty-three country losses.”

Criticism of the Amendment Bill. ‘‘The Commissioners,” continues the report, ‘‘are unanimously of opinion that their reports of May 22nd and June 9th last should be adhered to and expressly stipulate that nothing in their reply to the present reference shall in any way affect or detract from Che validity of such reports or any legal rights, which may have been acquired by any institution or person. As it was expressly stipulated that their aceptance of an ungracious task

was upon condition that their decisions should be accepted as final, they most strongly protest against any alteration or reduction from the days of racing allotted by them to racing and trotting clubs. ‘Tn regard, however to the provisions of the Gaming Amendment Bill the Commissioners do not consider them inconsistent with the unanimous opinion expressed in their reports ‘‘That the days of racing are not excessive to supply the requirements of so scattered a population.’ The bill, however, ,interefe’res with the scheme of distribution, which the .Commissioners desired as far as practicable to carry out (1) By reducing the days allotted to contiguous clubs where the loss would be least harmful, and (2) by taking days from clubs whose appointments and methods disp ayed gross f arefulness or where the ownership was in effect proprietary.” * * * * What Parliament Did. This latest report is signed on behalf of, and with the concurrence of all the Commissioners by the chairman, and was read to the House by the Premier. A heated and most undignified discussion followed.. Several members attacked the Commissioners 'in \a most unsportsmanlike way and criticised the chairman personally in the most undignified manner. The upshot of this discussion was that the House passed a motion to the effect that the report was a breach of privilege. This was followed by a resolution that no further action should be taken with reference to the report.

Coming Events Cast Their Shadows. The A.R ( .C. typen. their Spring Carnival next Wednesday, and given fine weather, it should be about a record gathering. All the races have tilled well, and all classes of sport are catered for, while most of the horses in training are very fit. The leading stable (McManemin’s) is well represented, and the cattle sheltered there were never fitter; McManemin has representatives in nearly 'every race —handicaps, hurdles, and two-year-old races —although he has no hall-marked champion he has a very useful lot of handicap horses well placed. D. Morrigan comes next with .a good useful team. The .best of the team is Antoinette, who has come on very quickly of rate, and should keep up the prestage of this “lucky stable.” The Waikato trainer, R. Hannan, has some top notches (i" wound up), but we are somewhat in the dark regards his lot, as they are trained at a distance. C. Coleman ought to keep the two-year-olds busy with his pair. He also has some good “roughie*” that may be usef.. in handicap events. Geo. Absolum has a promising quartet and the “blackbread” winners (Waimangu and Sant a Rosa) are bound to do George credit. A. Robertson has Miss Winsome, Kakama and Malwa looking bright, and probably contain the winner of G;N.G. Fred Stenning has; the useful sprinter, Jack . Dejlava.l, very fit. He has also Muskawai and Monathol to do battle for the stable. Harry French trains his lot at Avondale, but taking the Avondale running, he is always dangerous... The Thames sportsman, Jim Twohill, has several very useful contestants, and may spring a surprise on the local trained ones.

Bobrikoff Breaks Down. Something of a sensation was caused at Trentham on Saturday morning, says ■ the “New Zealand Times,” when it was seen that Bobrikoff was amiss. The Finland gelding, with C. Emmerson in the saddle, was sent a mile at half-pace, but when he had gone six furlongs his rider was seen to pull him up, but then he went on to complete the mile in Imin. 5 Bsec. On coming in it was immediately evident that the gelding was very lame, and as far as could be detected the weakness is in the knee. The mishap seems serious and there is no chance of the champion

being' seen out at the meeting. This means a big disappointment to the racing public, who like to see a good horse run, and to T. H. Lowry. Bobrikoff looked certain to win the Champion Blate and G. D. Greenwood’s beautnui cup, and the Hawke’s Bay sportsman is to be condoled with. At the same time the opinion has been freely expressed that the racing of an unsound horse under such a tremendous impost as lOst 131 b., as was done with Bobrikoff at Napier Bark, is rather courting . disaster. It is quite possible the tremendous effort put forth by the Finland gelding to beat Kilostere may have strained him and paved the way to the present unfortunate mishap. Still it is easy to be wise after the event, and Davis no doubt considered it the best policy to race the gelding into form.