HANDICAPPING

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 631, 6 April 1929, Page 11

HANDICAPPING

BOARD SETS UP COMMITTEE The question of the favourable handicapping: of Australian horses racing in New Zealand was brought up at this week's meeting of the board of the New Zealand Trotting Association, when Mr. J. H. Williams quoted from the address of Mr. fi. F. Nicoll at the 1926 meeting of delegates to the New Zealand Trotting Conference as follows: — ' ‘‘A feature of the last three years’ racing has been the success of horses imported from Australia, and, while we are pleased to see visitors win our races, yet it would be more satisfactory if we were satisfied that the handicapping of these horses was on a fair basis with that of the horses with New Zealand records only. Some of the Australian race tracks are only about four furlongs in circumference, and others are known not to be conducive to the making of fast time, and. when we see horse after horse brought to New Zealand from Australia and immediately putting up much better performances than any they have hitherto been credited with in Australia, it is necessary to make sure that an injustice is not being done to our own people, and if handicappers cannot by ordinary means arrive at a direct line with the form in this country it is evident that a suitable margin should be allowed when handicapping the visitors as is done by Australian handicappers when New Zealand horses visit their shores. I understand that the New Zealand Trotting Association has noted these Occurrences and is taking some steps in the direction indicated.’ “As this matter is at the present time creating a considerable amount of discission,” said Mr. Williams, I think the time is opportune for the association to set up a committee to go into the question and report to the next meeting of the board.” He therefore moved that a committee be set up for the purpose The motion was carried and Messrs, Williams and Hayward were apoofnted to form this committee.