RACING CONFERENCE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1506, 14 July 1905, Page 3

RACING CONFERENCE.

j . jPer. Press ,' ~ I Wellington, yesterday.. The conference of the New Zealand lacing clubs- opened this morning, Sir J C-eorge Clifford presiding. In his annual ’ riport tho Chairman said that most of the cliba during tho year had ebown a healthy siialry in tho -provision of good sport, wh'to there was no deterioration in the

» clas of horses attracted • to. the meetings. Hd referred to tho loxity on the part of . .'song in issuing jockeys’ licenses, f than 162 jockeys liconßsd had B js neoimts, and of those 50 did all, while 40 unlioensod jockeys a °do uiijohallenged. The aeoidont fund W as 8t ta BV b stood tho strain of ineress : demands. Tho allegations cf abuses ’a the turf, were persistently and raoklesay taado by anonymous slanderers, ‘ end ocaaionolly by ill informed or prejudiced men in responsible positions, tt'beae aargos were mainly the outcome of imagisftive ignorance, but it was the duty of .Couferonco to eorreet whatever abufs arise and to render corrupt jpractioni too difficult and dangerous to bo

■attaapted with impunity* In this coDneA/tUba he urged the Conference to consider too ownership of horses by bookmalers.was consistent with the maintenance of public confidence in the sport. :'f » Wellington, last night. ’ It was resolved that rules be numbered

consecutively and not os sent out-. A proposal that unpaid outlies and -acceptance fees should not bo eoliacted Eihrcugh unpaid forfeit list was negatived. ' iMotions to divide tbe Otago racing district and to establish •» metropolitan club at Gtsborno were lost. • ; Considerable di.tea.'-'sion took place on ine motion to givo country club representbe same voting power at tbo conEerenco as the metropolitan eiuh repre6enNatives. Tbe motioD was negatived, • Mr Mcßae- Taranaki,-moved a recoiniion id favor of visiting stev/nrda being ap--1 Bointod by the metropolitan clubs to visit and report no race mpst'iugs held in such club’s distriat. Tho mGtion mot with little .support anti was lost on the voicos. Xfi WfiH agreed that tho mssic&um num- ’ ierof race meetings held by any club in r one seuson shall be four instead of five as

at preseni. . >: Motions to increase tbe stakes which b'ot 3 * 3 eligible to compote in hack events may win hsforo b<-ing debarred from such events, were withdrawn jn some cases aud negatived in others. The redo, therefore, remains unaltered. - It was unanimously agreed that no iborse shall be eligible for entry for any: • nee ffiotil it is a yearling. The following new rule was adopted to £aka the place of rule ' StiTwo-year-olds shall net run prior to October Ist in any race exceeding four furlonge, nor- prior to December Ist in any race exceeding five. ' furlongs, nor prior to March Ist in any race exceeding six furlongs, nor either before or after that date in' any handicap for jyhich a horse over thrao years old is

vsligiblc. . - - lir tvas agreed that the maximum top -woi,‘r)>S t>i Ost in tbe handicaps should not i%pply\to : ,two-year-old events;- and that a penally ior employing, au unlicensed trp-.Der be compulsory instead of optional. • *s?ho following now .rule relating to licensed jockeys was carried on tbe voicas : -ei No jockey's license shall bo granted to OB y person under the age of 21 years, aalesa ho is in the regular employment of $ .a'racehcrse owner or J'sensed . trainer, or . w iho has-not ridden in twenty races in the ipbevious years or was in the employment of .j-,' licensed trainer,”