Trotting Conferance to Decide Big Problem

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1016, 5 July 1930, Page 13

Trotting Conferance to Decide Big Problem

Handicapping Question

WITHOUT doubt the most momentous question to come up for consideration at the 1930 session of the New Zealand Trotting parliament will be that dealing with handicapping. Last year, conference, in an endeavour to bring about a happier state of affairs in this direction, placed a “limitation of penalties” on the statute book, anti after a season’s trial the position will be reviewed next week.

It was only of recent years that those most keenly interested in the popular trotting sport found it necessary to legislate in the direction or handicapping, and had the later day adjusters continued the work in the same satisfactory manner as their predecessors, such a move would not have been required. No set system was deemed necessary in the days when the late Mr. F. V.\ Edwards and Mr. 11. Brinkman were

framing the handicaps. They had their own system, and to their credit be it said, did the work thoroughly and well. Mr. Brinkman was recognised the world over as a wonderful light - harness handicapper. After all the main feature of such work is its equitableness and consistency. No owner asks for favours, but all expect to be dealt with on a measure of equality, and every horse should be placed on a mark from which it has a reasonable chance of success. One well-known North Island handicapper had evidently made a close study of the work of the former adjusters, and followed closely and successfully in their footsteps. Likewise since the system became law. he has shown a thorough grasp of its requirements and carried out the duties to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. The Reason Why Unfortunately others did not follow suit, either before or since the system was put in motion. It was the numerous anomalies in handicapping generally that created the agitation to limit the powers of adjusters. The Auckland sportsman, Mr. G. McMillan, after careful study of a difficult and delicate situation, drafted a scheme of penalties, which was dealt with and fully published in The Sun at the time. This was the first spark from the smouldering lire of dissatisfaction, but the idea gained ground in the South, where owners, breeders and trainers welcomed it with open arms and soon the spark was fanned to a strong flame.

With the decision of the trotting authorities to limit the scope of handicappers it was generally thought there would be almost an absence of discrepancies, but judging on results of the year’s trial, such has not proved the case. Some handicappers in the other island made the pitiful mistake of varying the penalties in classes where the contestants were entitled to equitable treatment. This immediately caused a big outcry, not as some critics contend against the system, but against the inconsistency of its application by certain adjusters. Mr. McMillan’s Scheme As there is widespread interest in the question, the table arranged by Mr. McMillan will be again well worth perusing. It may form the basis on

which the conference will base its amended proposals. The local sportsman, after going carefully and thoughtfully into the whole question, has drawn up as the basis for such a system a scale of distances and times, with penalties, as appended, and which students of the vexed question will find instructive and interesting The author of the scheme

has given a table representing what he considers horses doing a mile in a given time should be capable of registering over extended journeys. TABLE OF DISTANCES AND TIMES

For horses recording faster time than 2.12 to the mile a special clause is inserted, whereby a winner over the shorter course is not penalised at the longer journeys, and vice versa.

PENALTIES One Mile— Down to 2.14 Winners 2sec. Seconds Jsec. After 2.14 "Winners lsec. Seconds Nil.

One and a-quarter Miles— Down to 2.47 Winners 2sec. Seconds lsec. After 2.47 Winners lsec. Seconds Nil. One and a-half and 4 5-8 miles— Down to 3.33 and 3.52 Winners 4sec. Seconds 2see. Down to 3.22 and 3.41 Winners 2sec. Seconds lsec i After 3.22 and 3.41 Winners lsec. Seconds Nil. Two MilesDown to 4.39 Winners 4sec. Seconds 2sec Down to 4.28 Winners 2sec. Seconds lsec. After 4.2 S Winners lsec. Seconds Nil. Winners or seconds of any race dis- ; tance take their mark for other 1 distances from the mark on the same line, down to the 2.12 line; that is to say, if a horse goes back to 2.12 for

TROTTING TOPICS

winning a mile race, then his mark for two miles is 4.32, and the same applies to a horse who goes back to 4.32 for two miles, then his mark for the other distances are on the same line After the 2.12 mark (specially men tioned) is reached, then for winning a mile or mile and a-quarter, his mark for one mile, mile and a-quarter and mile and a-half is on the line, but he does not go back for 1 5-S miles and two miles, and if he wins a 1 5-8 mile or two miles, then he goes back in the line for a mile and a-half. 1 5-8 miles or two miles, but not for the one mile or mile and a-quarter

TRAINER ROE DEPARTS JEWEL POINTER’S PROGRAMME T. Roe has left for Hawera, where he will take charge of J: R. Corrigan’s team. The Mangere trainer took with him his old favourite Steel Bell. The grey mare was a sterling performer and included in a fine list ol successes the Auckland Gups of 1914 and 1917. In those victories she was piloted by J. Lynch, who a few seasons back had a good run with the pacing gelding Uncle Bert. Tom Roe, who was held in high esteem by the lightharness fraternity, carries with him the best wishes of the sporting community lor success in his new sphere of action. S. August’s Team S. August is giving Jewel Pointer a short respite. During the vacation the one-time Auckland champion will do light stud duty and then he will be put on the active list again and given a preparation lor the New Zealand and Auckland Cups. The Mangere trainer has an addition to his team in the Trotter Gold Sovereign, who has been an inmate of T. Roe’s stable for some considerable time. When the tracks are firm the son of Gold Bell should be in the money again. August is alsu attending to the preparation of Army Boy, Hal Chimes and Stanmoor, while it is possible Rockburn will soon join the active list once more. Prince Triumph at Epsom F. J. Smith has taken the young trotter Prince Triumph under his charge for Owner Whitten. The son of The

Triumph, was given his first racing experience at the Auckland winter fix- j ture, where for a novice he shaped en- ] couragingly. In Smith’s care he will 1 have every chance to prove his ability | as a square-gaiter. The ex-English • enthusiast is keeping the red roan j horse Antonia Direct in work in view i of early spring fixtures. Discretionary Power It is not the intention of “Abaydos” to cite any of the cases that have occurred with monotonous regularity in this direction, neither does he intend to single any handicapper out for special mention in this respect. From time to time during the season, as the glaring anomalies were presented, they were dealt with in The Sun, and readers will be able to judge who has been most responsible for undermining the system. However, perhaps from the mistakes of the past good will result. Some critics—happily few in number —condemn the present system, but it is not the system which is at fault. Its sane . application on an equitable basis j would have proved its usefulness and :

fairness to the great majority of rightthinking followers of the sport. Even with its defects, as administered in certain quarters, there is a big vote in favour of the present scheme as against the “never know where you were” style prevailing prior to the adoption of the “limitation of penalties” movement. There is a feeling among some of the keenest advocates of systematic handicapping that the penalties should be allotted on a fixed basis. It is claimed that this -principle will do away with the “discretionary” power of the handicapper. Such a move would bring the scheme back practically to the original one formulated by Mr. McMillan. Advocate of Set Penalties The Auckland enthusiast, in his compilation, made reasonable allowances for competitors, after passing the mile mark, traversing extra distances and this gave him a clear issue with • *»la tive penalties. The absence ot relativity in the adopted scheme ot the New Zealand Trotting Conference left too much •play” to the discretion or imagination of many handicappers. A curtailment in this direction will be appreciated, although it is certainly open to grave doubt if the set penalties will have the desired effect If ueh a proposal is adopted, handirappers will have an easy contract and , erhaps work themselves out of a job Then, again, some—should the present system be continued—have a chance ol’ doing something similar, if they persist in violating the spirit of equitj. which is the fundamental principle ol the scheme. However, the question will be placed before the ‘trotting parliament” on Wednesday, and as the delegates assembled will represent the

brains of the various clubs of the Dominion, something tangible can be looked for as a result of the deliberations. Napland Back Again IT. Kinnimont has taken the onetime successful trotting performer Napiand up again after a lengthy spell. Last season the Royal Oak trainer had the Petereta —Dreamland gelding in fine form, and if he can get the old square-gaiter right again when the new season rolls round there should be some more money in the proposition. H.K. also has a sturdy two-year-Oid trotter in work that is bred on excellent lines for success at this gait. He is by Nelson Bingen from a Petereta— McKinney mare. L. McMahon’s Team Southern writers fell to the rumour that J. Bryce took Torpedo Huon and Mignonne back to Christchurch with him after the Auckland meeting, and it was widely broadcast that Ted Parkes’s pair were at Hornby. Torpedo Huon was shipped yesterday for the South, but Mignonne is still at the Epsom headquarters of L. McMahon, who is also attending to the training of Gold Jacket and the Grand Voyage— Miss Marvin Downs trotter, purchased by Parkes at Air. R. Millen’s Christmas sale.

1 mile 5-IS li mile H li rtiile lH mile 2 mile 3.58 4.55 a || 3^57 3.35 3.34 If 1:1 3.53 4.48 2.39 2.55 3.32 3.50 4.46 2.17 2.16 2.15 llf 2.50 II 3.26 3.47 4.42 3.46 4.41 3.44 4.38 2.14 lit 2.49 2.4R 2.46 3.24 3.22 3.21 3.43 4.36 3.41 4.34 3.39 4.32

2.11 2.45 3.20 3.37 4.30 2.10 2.43 3.18 3.35 4.28 2.9 2.42 3.17 3.34 4.27 2.8 2.41 3.15 3.32 4.20 2.7 2.40 3.14 3.31 4.25 2.G 2.39 3.13 3.29 4.24 2.5 2.38 3.12 3.28 4.23 2.4 2.37 3.10 3.27 4.22 2.3 2.30 3.9 3.26 4.21 2.2 2.35 3.7 3.24 4.20