TEAM DRIVING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 560, 12 January 1929, Page 9

TEAM DRIVING

KEEPING THE SPORT CLEAN “ALL WELL” SAYS CANTERBURY ASSOCIATION The opinion expressed by < the Canterbury Owners’, Trainers' and Breeders* Association, that teamdriving does not exist, and that the sport in New Zealand is as clean as any in the world, will come as a refresher no doubt to a great number who arc at present halting between two opinions, but will not suffice to convince the majority of patrons at Alexandra Park during the last three meetings, that the sport was by any means all that was desired. It would certainly be interesting fpr : all concerned in the light-harness business, which includes the general public as the big factor, to learn just how the live-wire organisation arrived at its decision, but no doubt the question was viewed through their own spectacles. It is quite possible that some of the members of the Canterbury Association were present at the recent Auckland carnival, and if so, then it must have been with closed eyes, or dimmed vision that they watched certain races. “Abaydos” has neither the time nor the inclination to go over the ground again as submitted in the special article in last Saturday’s Sun pointing out the evils of the practice, and that there was justification for the complaint is demonstrated by the fact | that such a large concern as the Canterbury Owners, Trainers and Breeders' should find it expedient to discuss the situation. As pointed out at the time by the writer, there is a difficulty in sheeting : home the offence through the reticence j of drivers who are made to suffer dur- i ing a contest, and the reason of this j is, of course, obvious. It would perhaps j interest the association, which cann# find in its heart to admit of the evil, to know that since the appearance of The Sun article, the writer has been inundated with complimentary references to the stand taken in this respect, and also with regard to that other fiend, inconsistency, and this proves to us that in bringing to light the anomolies or inaccuracies at present existing in the people’s popular pastime, we are doing oqr duty in the public interest. Whether the Canterbury Association thinks team-driving exists or otherwise will not alter the opinion of Alexandra Park patrons, and as stated last week, the sooner the stipendiary stewards tackle this proposition, and other discrepencies with the gloves off, the better for the sport in general and the masses who keep it going in particular.