TROTTING RACES ON RACINGCLUB’S PROGRAMMES.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1597, 2 December 1920, Page 9

TROTTING RACES ON RACINGCLUB’S PROGRAMMES.

A few weeks ago comment was macle on the decision of the New Zealand Trotting Association that racing clubs which included trotting events on their programmes should be compelled to give stakes equal to the average devoted to the galloping races. It was pointed out at the time that the association was in serious danger of doing harm to the sport which it was charged with fostering. The resolution, in fact, dealt a blow at the racing clubs which gave trotting the strongest support (says the Christchurch “Star”). From what has transpired since it seems probable that the worst fears -are on the eve of fulfilment. The Trotting Association has refused to pass the programme of the Southland Racing Club, until the stakes are increased so as to conform to the recent deci-

sion, and if this attitude is persisted in it is probable that the club’s programme will be remodelled and the trotting events cut out altogether. This will be a serious loss to trotting owners in the south. To show just what it will mean, it may be noted that the Southland Racing Club had four days’ racing last season, on each of which there, were two trotting events, making eight races in all, with stakes totalling £1275, or the equivalent of a full day’s trotting with average prizes of a few shillings under £l6O for each event. Most of the country racing clubs in Otago and Southland also provide liberally for trotters and pacers, and it is a strange comment on the attitude of . the Trotting Association that its recent decision will press most hardly on clubs which givp the largest prizes, for trotting race's. For. some years past Southland has suffered from a shortage of totalisator permits for trotting fixtures, but the liberal treatment of the racing clubs has provided owners in that part of the Dominion with a fair substitute. Through' the hasty action of the Trotting Association, however, there iseems a grave danger that many of the clubs in the south will cut out the trotting races, a result which will be a severe ’ blow to owners who are interested in the light harness sport. It is difficult to follow a line of reasoning which objects to stakes ranging up to £2OO in one district and cheerfully accepts prizes of £65 in other parts, while some trotting clubs get off with even smaller stakes than this latter amount.