UNIFORMITY OF RACING RULES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1159, 27 June 1912, Page 3

UNIFORMITY OF RACING RULES.

’ The preamble of the Australian Rules of Racing, which become uniform throughout the States of the Commonwealth on November 12 next, reads: “In order, as far as possible, to have certain uniform rules of racing throughout Australia, the Australian Jockey Club, the Victoria Racing Club, the South Australian Jockey Club, the Queensland Turf Club, the North Queensland Racing Association, the Western Australian Turf Club, the Tasmanian Racing Club, and the Tasmanian Turf Club, have agreed to adopt these rules so far as they can be applied to the management, control, conduct of racing, and persons connected therewith, in the several States, or parts of States, in the Commonwealth of Australia, on which the said clubs, respectively,, conduct, manage, and carry on horseracing, and in which States, or parts, they are the controlling bodies.” The only reservation is that any rules repugnant to or inconsistent with these rules shall be annulled as from that day, but such annulment shall not (a) affect the previous operation of any rule so annulled, or anything duly done or suffered thereunder; or (b) affect any right, privilege, obligation, or liability acquired, accrued, or incurred under any rule so annulled; or (c) affect any penalty or disqualification incurred in respect to any offence committed against any rule so annulled; or (d) affect any investigation, proceeding, or remedy in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, or penalty as aforesaid. The rules apply to all races held under the management, control, or direction of a principal club, and shall, together with such rules (not being repugnant to or inconsistent with these rules) as may from time to time be made by the “principal club-or clubs’-’ in * each State of the Commonwealth, 'be read and .construed as the rules of the “principal club or clubs” in such State racing under them, and to all races held under the management of any registered club, . and to. all race meetings registered by a principal club. In several instances rules may be made by a principal club to suit local ’ conditions; for instance, in Western Australia the stipendiary stewards have full control of all race meetings, while in New South Wales the duties of the stipendiary stewards do not extend to the race meetings of the Australian Jockey Club, and which stewards appointed from the members of the committee control. Hitherto the running of races in heats was prohibited, but in future, when it may be deemed necessary for the prevention of accidents, the committee has power to run a race in heats. Another rule in which the committee of a principal club has discretionary powers is that relating to the racing of two-year-olds. In New South Wales the governing body prevents two-year-olds from taking part in a race before the Ist of October, whereas in South Australia juveniles can run in races from the commencement of the season. A change has been made with regard to the status of horses disqualified for interference in a race. Hitherto, if an objection to a horse that had won was upheld, that horse was debarred from any benefit accruing from the race, but the new rule provides that the stewards may, if they think fit, place the horse immediately after any horse, whose chance has, in the opinion of the stewards, been interfered with. Thus, in the case of two horses being well clear of the field, and any ..interference between the pair would not affect those behind them, the stewards may give the disqualified horse second place. (The codified rules have yet to receive the sanction of the members of the Australian Jockey Club).