The following definition from the California Horse Racing Board is one of many provided by racing jurisdictions’ throughout the world reflective of the positions responsibilities especially in the thoroughbred field.-
“Duties of Clerk of Scales: The clerk of scales shall verify the correct weight of each jockey at the time of weighing out and when weighing in, and he shall report any discrepancies to the stewards immediately. The clerk of scales shall notify the stewards of any change of jockeys, or of any extra or special weight declared for any horse, or any overweight, or any alteration of colours. At the close of each day’s racing the clerk of scales shall provide the association with a report of the weight carried in every race and the names of the jockeys specifying overweight, if any. He shall provide the paymaster of purses an accounting of the riding fees due each jockey at the end of each racing day. The Clerk of Scales shall be responsible to the stewards for the conduct of the jockeys and their attendants in the jockey room.”
The Clerk of Scales position may be found in flat/steeplechase racing and harness racing. Those in the Clerk of Scales role readily transitioned into other positions as racing officials.
The New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing Rules continue to make specific mention of the Clerk of Scales position in its Rules of Racing. Whilst no longer referred to in current HRNZ Rules, earlier versions of the Rules of Trotting did e.g. the 1959 edition set out various matters pertaining to the Clerk of Scales position. These sections can be summarised as follows : s247 weighing of riders in saddle races by Clerk of Scales; s248 “Particular powers and duties of Clerk of Scales”; s250 “Horsemen to weigh out at appointed time and place”; s251 “Equipment not to be weighed with rider”; s252 “Horseman to have skull cap”; s253 “Horsemen to be correctly attired and wear proper colours”; s254 “Clerk of Scales to issue numbered saddlecloth” etc..
In NZ harness racing the Clerk of Scales position title ultimately became known as the Check Room Controller, a change affected mid/late 1970’s. It appears that these positions were disestablished in the 1990’s. They were wound down following the computerisation of club/HRNZ systems in mid 1980’s. Maybe not all clubs would have had officials with Clerk of Scales title but all had driver’s fee books which were held with the Clerk of Scales ledgers.
The duties of a Clerk of Scales/Check Room Controller included :
- Drivers required to present themselves to the Clerk of Scales before checking out to ensure confirmation of :
- Colours including caps checked against those listed in race book especially where brackets involved
- Numbers
- Footwear (mandatory black)
- General attire
- Fee payments prior to races; if not paid, could be scratched (card systems in operation for race/horse/driver)
- Passing information (often by phone) to semaphore board operator
- Weighed drivers out/in for saddle paces/trots
- Paid drivers fees
- Updated Clerk of Scales register/ledger(official record of race signed off by Judge/Timekeeper)
Transgressions of driving attire in particular were frowned upon by Stipendiary Stewards, a good example of which would have been not to upset Chief Stipe Peter McKenzie. Beards were at one time considered “unacceptable” attire for a driver..
The Clerk of Scales register (ledger) became of particular personal interest when a couple of years back John Peck of Melbourne was searching for christian names of all drivers/trainers of every Interdominion finalist since 1936 plus their exact finishing position. By a variety of means we managed to track down all missing information except for the driver of Single Task in the 1951 Interdominion Trotters Grand Final at Addington.
Single Task raced from Jim Young’s stable and would normally have been driven by his son Bob Young. However, with two horses trained by Jim Young engaged in the Grand Final, Bob Young drove eventual winner Gay Belwin. By a process of elimination, ascertaining who drove for Jim Young in other races in 1950/51 when he had two trotters (e.g. Gay Belwin and Single Task engaged), it was thought that Doug Watts would have been the driver of Single Task (Watts was often the second string driver for powerful Jim Young stable).
It wasn’t until last year when access was gained to the NZMTC Clerk of Scales register for 1950/51 season that it could be confirmed that Doug Watts was indeed the driver of Single Task in the 1951 Interdominion Trotters Grand Final (Year Books at best had first three/four placegetters only and drivers listed).
The Clerk of Scales registers included details of :
- Club/date of meeting
- Race number/name
- Horse number
- Owner
- Colour/sex of horse
- Name of horse
- Age
- Handicap
- Driver
- Remarks column e.g. cap colour, date/time of scratching
The results area of the register contained details of :
- First five placegetters
- Times – gross/net including mile rate/kilo rate
- Time actual race finished
- Officials signatures
In earlier years, the amounts invested (£) on the tote for win/place, doubles etc were also recorded in the Clerk of Scales registers.
Depending on the officials in attendance etc, after every race the Judge would fill in the official placings and the timekeeper the times with both signing to signify the correct result had been recorded. The last register purchased by Addington Raceway cost in the vicinity of $800/900 with all registers being specially bound editions..
HRNZ hold the Clerk of Scales registers from Addington Raceway for :
- NZ Metropolitan TC (1 August 1901 – 9 July 1986)
- Canterbury Park TC (26 December 1906 – 27 May 1988)
- New Brighton TC (6 October 1906 – 20 July 1986
- Kaikoura TC (31 October 1977 – 2 November 1987)
One long serving Clerk of Scales/later Check Room Controller of thirty years plus longevity for the three Addington clubs was L.T. Woodward (1945/6 – 1976/77 seasons). Earlier Mr Strange served from 1932 – 1942.
Considerable historical information is held in these registers and it is appropriate that HRNZ has secured control of those relevant to one of our two major metropolitan tracks..
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
