ASHBURTON RACES AT RICCARTON.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6208, 2 March 1904, Page 2

ASHBURTON RACES AT RICCARTON.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—On reading a paragraph in the Guardian about a week ago, intimating that the Ashburton County Raoing Club had requested permission to use the Riccarton racecourse for their Autuuia meetiug, I at once presumed a mistake had been made, and that it referred to one of the Clubs near Chnstchurch. But ray memory on the subject has been refreshed by a local in Monday's Guardian, which states that a meeting of the A .C.R.C. i 3 to be held to consider the matter. There appears to be no valid reason assigned for this change. Even supposing that it is jnecessary to redress the course, the Tinwald, and for that matter, Chertsey courses are available. TnBtead, the Committee desire that the public of the Ashburton county shall pay the minimum charge of 5s (railway 4s, admission Is) to attend races promoted by them* selves. It surely cannot be that the lobs of the publicans' booth license has prevailed on the Committee to suggest the change. The only feasible solution to me appears to be that the C.J.C. have recently incurred expenditure to the tune of ,£20,000, in improving bhe Riccarton course, mainly on suggestions advanced by two prominent racing enthusiasts, aud that to meet the interest charge?, it has been found necessary to uoe the course more frequently than has beon the case in the past, and thus obtain a larger revenue. In my opinion, races promoted in this district should be held in the county, and if possible, every opportunity afforded residents to spend their surplus cash inside its boundaries, at anyrate, in the matter of sports and races. Trusting that the Committee will acknowledge the imprudence of the suggestion to hold a meeting at Riccarton.—l am, etc.,

Old Sport,