SPORTING.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 197, 29 April 1915, Page 3

SPORTING.

MANAWATU RACES. SEVERE CRITICISM BY SPORTING CONTRIBUTOR. The sporting contributor to the Auckland “Star,” reviewing last week's Manav/atn Racing Club’s fixture,makes the following strong comments: “The totalisator turnover was a record one. I and showed an increase of £14,004 on last year’s gathering. The management cannot bo congratulated on their working of the machine, and it. was a great pity, when everything else was so satisfactory, that the totalisator working was allowed to develop into something of tin- nature of a scandal. On the opening (jay the last event was three-quarters of an hour late.in starting. and although matters were slightly better on the serond day, they were still vary bad. The closing time of the machine was specifically stated in the bock, and yet the bell was kept ringing, ringing, until every investor had been secured. In one race the clock was put on, no less than five times, four or five minutes at a time, until just on 25 minutes had elapsed. This is entirely against the rules, and yet no action was taken. The rules cT racing provide that horses shall not be sent to the post more than twenty, minutes before the advertised time of starting, but if the . Manawatu Club's methods are to be adopted by every club in the Dominion, they will be pith e post sometimes twice this length cf time. The matter is certainly one f hrt should engage the attention ci the New Zealand Racing Confarenc" for there is enough opposition to the t-rtalisator now, and if clubs are al lowed to abuse the privileges granted them, ( then there can only be one ending. However, the president of the Conference, Sir George Clifford, was present at the meeting, and probable be will have something to say on the •natter when the governing body of weing come together.”