RACING CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9550, 23 July 1909, Page 5

RACING CONFERENCE.

By Telegraph —Press Association. WELLINGTON, July 22. The annual Conference of the New Zealand Jockey Clubs opened here to-day. Sir G. Clifford (President) occupied the chair, and in the cuurse of his address said that as the standard of racing improves by the introduction of more weight-for-age and Ion? distance races so will prejudices melt away, and a wider recognition be established of the Conference's effurts to promota highclass sport, and healthful recreation. The interest added by a moderat-* speculation was a secondary consideration, and the aim has consistently been to discourage heavy gambling by advocating the use of the totalisator under proper resections The totalisator automatically prevents investment of unduly large sums, and in that and many other ways has assisted the administrators or racing in the mait.tanance of a true sportsmanlike spirit. He recommended the delegates to consider the question raised by the Wellington Club whether the Conference would participate in the legal expenses possibly consequent on the refusal of licenses to bookmakers known to have plied their calling at unregistered meetings.Complaints had been rife of laxity in receiving nominations and acceptances after the advertised hour of closing. He reminded officials that auch excess of zeal was liable to serious misinterpretation as to their own honour, and to awkward consequences if objections ensued. More over an official conniving at success of a horse invalidly entered or accepted for became a party to fraud upon the rightful winner of the stake. Those secretaries of clubs who failed to forward the prescribed particulars of their meetings for publication in the official calendar were not only negligent in their duty but guilty ot special selfishness. The licensing of so many practically unemployed jockeys implies either carelessness on the part of some licensed bodies or an excessive liberality, which is no real kindness to i'« recipients. More of the clubs should aim at encouragement of weight-for-age races, where practicable long distance races should be more favoured than at present. The President strongly condemned the promotion of unlicensed meetings. This was a grave tvil and it could jiot be too widely known.