JOCKEYS AND COLOURS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3570, 3 October 1916, Page 2

JOCKEYS AND COLOURS

A NOVEL SUGGESTION.

With a large "field" at a. racecourse meeting it is sometimes a difficult matter to detect the rider of a horse in which a " punter " is interested. This fact was referred to by Mr J. B. Harcourt, president of the Wellington Racing Club, at the annual meeting of the club on Friday afternoon. In tlio course of his presidential address Mr Harcourt, stated* that a suggestion had been made to him that it would bo a great convenience to the general public if a change were mado in the present system regarding colours worn' by jockeys.. At present each owner registered his" own particular colours, provided they did not clash with colours already registered,'and the consequence was that with the cnori mous number of combinations* used in j these days of straight courses it was very difficult for a person to pick out any horso ho might have an interest in. The idea was that the various racing clubs should provide sets of colours for ! tho use of owners. For instance, the horses numbered 1, 2, and 3 on the race card would bo red, white, and blue respectively, aJid so on, different colours for the higher numbers. People would soon get to know the colours attached to each number, and it would be very much easier to pick up tho places occupied by the horses in a race. The suggestion, said Mr Har- , court, had not been considered by the stewards of the club, but possibly it, would cause some* comment which might throw a new light on the subject. Certainly a great saving in cost to owners woilld be effected, although it must be realised that an owner having raced iii a particular set of colours for years would object to adopting this system.