London, Feb. 1.
National Hunt racing is not only the sport of the public, it is also the sport of the weather.
Steeplechasing is et the mercy of climatic conditions more: han almost any other outdoor sport, the chief reason being that the risk to life and limb of jockeys and horses is grealy increased by frost-bound turf.
'The' stoppage of racing is a serious. matter for m Hundreds of employees, their -vocations on t! pay" principle, are ti average racecourse execu: butes about £300 in every racing day, bill is s tile, meeting is cancelled.
Although entrance fees are recovered, owners still have io bear the cost of keeping their horses in training, which is between £3-10-0 and £5 a week.
Managements of. racecourses can reap little benefit by insuring fixtures against abandonment.
Premiums are so high that most executives insure only against the actual costs of preparing for a meeting. The loss of profits is considerable especially when any of their important fixtures' has to be cancelled.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.