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MOVE IN INTEREST OF STEEPLECHASING New York January 20 While the amateurs in racing have liecn showing a decided activity in pre ¬ paration for tin coming season of sport the profes ¬ sional sleejilechasing is being well looked after by the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association which Is tlie court of last resort in all crosscountry races and which is bestirring itself for the pictur ¬ esque sjiortLast end of the sjiort Last season the steeplechasing over the big tracks of the Jockey Club fell far below the standard and an effort is being made to create an interest in 1910 that will bring the contests through the Held back to the proper plant The owners of erossconntrv stables were criticised last season for their failure to properly Mip ort the races that were offered for their horses and their answer to that charge was that the prizes were not sufficient and the races not frequent enough to Induce such sportsmen to remain on the big circuit when so many better oppor ¬ tunities were afforded elsewhere elsewhereFor For 1910 suggestions will be made to the various New York associations as to this end tit racing with a view of inducing a greater number of races and prizes of greater value To that end a committee lias iKen appointed composed of H S Page J Wldener and II 1 Morris to confer with the differ ¬ ent clubs that have steeplechase courses and make suggestions for race programs that will afford the crosscountry horses better opportunity than was enjoyed In 19 9 This committee will endeavor to onvliice the racing associations that the demand for such racing makes steeplechasing an excellent business venture and with the new life that has IKHMI injected Into crosscountry racing it is promised that there will be a liberal response from horsemen If opportunity is afforded to race At the Pimllco meeting of the Maryland Jockey Club it has been IKissihlr Ixth spring and fall to have at least one steeplichase each day and il is the desire of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association to so arrange New York programs that the tracks equipped witii field courses will show a like liber ¬ ality towards the crosscountry division i It has been announced that the Maryland United i Hunts will renew its hunt team race this year Tnls race which has become a jwpular one Is for a trophy that must be won twice before it becomes the property of any one club Interest in It this year is greater than ever before for the reason that three hunts have one leg on the trophy The ones that have won thus far are the Patapsco Hunt Green Snring Valley Hunt and the White Marsh Valley Hunt For tin coming running each of these will try hard to win the deciding race and it is promised that the Chevy Chase Hunt of Washington will have a team in the field that may still further complicate the situation
