Mobile starts

Press, 10 April 1979, Page 12

Mobile starts

Sir, — I think I speak for most in saying how much I enjoyed the recent Inter-Dominion Trotting Carnival. However, I would criticise the starting procedure of the races. Surely the Inter-Dominion is prestigious enough to warrant using mobile starts? It is entirely unnatural for trotters or pacers to begin from a standing start and is an archaic reminder of yesteryear when a horse such as Vodka lost all chance when being asked to start in this manner. The mobile start has many advantages, the least of which are all horses start on an equal footing and there is less chance of a collision in the first few metres, especially in a 14horse race. Peter Wolfenden’s driving ability is not in question here. But does he honestly imagine Rondel winning from a mobile start with Lord Module in the same race? — Yours, etc., J. CORBETT. March 26, 1979. [The president of the Metropolitan Trotting Club (Mr E. T. McDermott) replies: “I would like to thank Mr Corbett for his comments. However, his advocacy of the mobile start tor such a series is debatable. The racing last year in Melbourne at the Inter-Domi-nion Championship series, which had starts from a mobile barrier, was certainly no better than that witnessed at Addington Raceway last month.”]