SPORTING.

Gisborne Times, Volume X, Issue 943, 16 July 1903, Page 3

SPORTING.

RACING CONFERENCE.

By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, last night. The Racing Conference opened to-day. The Chairman, Sir G. Clifford, in his opening address, said a provident scheme had been prepared, whieJO it was hoped would relieve owners from liability in case of accidents to jockeys, and also safeguard the interests of jockeys and sport. Rucing had shown unmistakeable signs of prosperity. About 32,000 signatures had been obtained to the petitioh for the retention of the totaiisator.

At the Racing Conference a coni' mittee was appointed to report,whether criminal proceedings should be instituted against the parties concerned in the Opportunity nngingr-in case,

A motion from the Otago country clubs to alter the amount of the stakes payable to an average of £tU per race, instead of £l5O per day, ;was negatived. ,The Conference negatived the pro-, posal that clubs holding race meetings on two or more days snail include at least one hurdle lace rnl each of the days.

It .was decided to call the attention of stewards to the rule regard-

ing the appointment of a judicial committee fro deal with matters relating to protests and disqualifications.

Motions for the appointment of an advisory steward, and to. debar a horse under three years starting in any race, were lost. It was resolved that a hack shall •be regarded as a horse .which, at the time of nomination has not won a race of 80 sovereigns in value, or races to the collective value af 200 sovereigns. , , A motion making it compulsory for a starting machine to he used at all race meetings lapsed^ It was agreed to make it compulsory to .weigh every, article carried by, a horse in a race ; also that no allowance in weight be given to gentlemen riders when competing against professionals. The latter ruie Will not afiect the programmes already issued. ' At the Racing Conference to night, the motion to distribute the lees received by the Metropolitan .Club among country clubs for the purchase of trophies for gentlemen riders, 'and the motion to debar any person who has been employed in a training stable from riding as a gentleman rider, were withdrawn. A motion from Hawke’s Bay to regulate the number of jumps in hurdle races was lost. It was decided that the number used for any, horse on the totalisator shall correspond with the number on. the race-card. ,The '.Conference decided not to amend the rules with regard to the paying out of dividends on the first and second horses. The commiteee appointed to consider the Opportunity, ringing-jn case reported that it was inexpedient .to prosecute. ■