RACING.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 450, 23 March 1912, Page 7

RACING.

The following article, which appeared in the New Zealand Times, will be read with widespread interest: "Anyone who is in the habit of regularly attending race meetings cannot help being struck with the fact that the turf is in not too good a way at the present time. No one wishes to see the sport lowered in the esteem of the thousands who enjoy a day's racing, but it is impossible to disguise the fact that the time is fully ripe for more determined action by the stewards of the various clubs than has been the case for some time past, or else there will be a big risk of racing losing its hold. The clubs at present seem too much concerned with the financial side of racing, and not enough with racing itself. Everyone likes to hear that meetings have resulted in a profit, but it is a cardinal mistake to subordinate all else to bring this about. Over-much attention ia given to safeguarding the totalisator and swelling the totaisiator returns, and not enough to improving the sport itself. At present clubs pay considerable sums to racecourse detectives to exclude bookmaker?, one reason for which is that the machine figures may not suffer. The money might possibly be more profitably employed if devoted to purifying the actual sport, for at present it is absolutely wasted. The bookmakers may be excluded, but their agents are not, neither are a much more undesirable class. At the recent Wanagnui meeting it was common talk that a gang of pickpockets were present, and the local papar stated that between £3OO and £4OO was stolen. Many of these thieves, 'guns,' 'guessers,' or whatever their alleged calling may be, must be known to the police. Why do not the clubs make a determined effort to rouse the authorities to take action in keeping them away? It may be difficult to purify the enclosure, but it should not be impossible. Then as to the turf itself, surely some attempt ought to be made to stamp out the foul and reckless riding that goes on. One does not require to believe more than a tenth of what one hears, quite apart from the evidence of one's own eyesight, to know that scarcely a meeting goes by but some 'ramp' is worked, often at the expense of an unsuspecting to owner and invariably of the public saving a the few who are 'in the know.' It may be that the perpetrators do not consider themselves dishonest, and may very possibly consider their scheme as a clever coup. The straight goers will call it by a much harsher name. Of course, as we have not yet reached the millennium, it is perhaps too much to expect that every hope will be run right out to win every time. While we have a class of what is known as 'battling' owners in existence this very desirable state of affairs is never likely to come about. But it is not too much to ask from the stewards that when very glaring cases of inconsistent running are noticed, as so constantly happens, owners should be called upon to tender explanations of the same. Racing ocffiials must be keeniy alive to what is transpiring at their meetings otherwise there may come a time in the not very distant future when the public will show its displeasure by staying away.