TROTTING CLUB.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8203, 28 July 1915, Page 7

TROTTING CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING.

A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

The annual meeting of the Ashburton Trotting Club was held last evening. There was a moderate attendance, and liio president (Mr H. F. A'icoJl) oceu-' pied the chair. Annual Report and Balance-Sheet. The f animal report congratulated members on the- steady progress made; by the club during tho past season. iji view of the largo contributions made to the diiferent War Funds by the sporting community the results of tho two race meetings had been very encouraging, as, notwithstanding a solid increase m the stakes, each meeting had shown a fair profit. The stakes had been increased this year by £535, and the committee's confidence had been rewarded by large fields in all events. There had been a substantial increase in tho attendance of the public at both meetings, and on eacli occasion fine weather had been enjoyed. With keen contests and clean racing, the fixtures had been both interesting and enjoyable. The. attendance of the public at-the club's meetings had increased to such an •ext'ent'that the present accommodation on the .stands was

quite inadequate, and it was. a matter for the incoming committee to consider

in what woy some further provision could be made to overcome the difficulty.

■.-..The-'balance-sheet showed the receipts for the year to have been £6075 Ms 7d, including a credit balance at the beginning of the year of £823 18s 2d. Tho principal receipts had Been: Members ' subscriptions £108, nominations and acceptances £922 10s, totalisator proceeds £2632 11s 6d, race cards £197 2s 3d, gate takings £668 12s 6d, privileges £52, miscellaneous £667 3s sd. The total expenditure had been £5729 16s 3d, tho chief items of which were: Stakes £2685, Government tax £773 16s, handicapper £31 10s, secretary £100, donations to war funds £861, other donations £52 12s, rent £125, fixed deposit £700. The credit balance wa,s £345 18s 4d. The total assets were stated to be £2103 8s 4d, and the liabilities £20 (outstanding accounts).

In movirfgc the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet, the chairman said:—"Though during the past season racing in New Zealand has not suffered to any appreciable extent, through the war, yet we notice that most clubs are adopting a more conservative policy with regard to/their stake money, and are preparing themselves for the less prosperous days which appear likely to occur in the near future. Our own club has again had a successful season. The stakes were increased from £2160 to £2685 for a total of 16 races, an average of £167 16s per race, and the two meetings returned the club a net profit of £502.. A considerable amount of :our' success is due to the assistance the Connty Racing Club has afforded vs v and we owe them most hearty thanks for the sporting spirit in which they hare dealt with all affairs that have come up for discussion btween tho two clubs. Our rent for the past season was increased from £50 to £125, and the latter amount appears to bo a reasonable charge for the advantages accruing to this club through the use of tho racecourse and buildings. From the club funds the committee has donated since the outbreak of tho Avar, the following sums:—Belgian Relief Fund, £630; Empire Defence Fund, £105; Canterbury Patriotic Fund, £105; and sundry other donations aggregating £73 12s, making a total of £913 12s. It will be seen that the club gavo more than the whole of the season's profits away to the various funds, and, subject to your approval, the policy of tho committee will be to continue such subscriptions out of profits the club may make until the conclusion of the war. At the same time it is probable that the great success and popularity of our Boxing Day meeting will enable us to still further increase the stakes for that meeting, and this the committee hope to be.able to do. Our club at its last meeting substantially reduced the nomination and acceptance; fees, and we now have nil entrance foes fixed at £1, and hope before long to lie able to make nomination and acceptance fees total only 1 per cent, of the stake money. It was with great regret that the club saw Mr Hunter's Gaming Amendment Act passed through the Rouse 'without a clause to right the wrong from which the Ashburton Trotting Club is suffering through losing, two days' racing each year, instead of one day as the Commission had intended. Wo have shown what we can do with a one-day meeting, and if there is any club in New Zealand entitled to an extra day's sport it is the Ashburton Trotting Club. Though, we can scarcely agitate for any increase at the present time.-the executive have the; : matter steadily in view, and when the | proper occasion comes it will make a further move to regain the day lost. ■ The past season has not shown the promised improvement in starting methods which has been demanded by the general public, but there is no doubt that the extra severity with which any offences have been dealt with by the starters has had a good effect, and, excepting for the mile saddle races at a few of the meetings, the starting has been fairly satisfactory all round. In conclusion I wish to say a few words with regard to a personal matter. Some of you may hfive noticed in the 'Referee' of July 7 a paragraph from that paper's Auckland correspondent stating that at a meeting of tho Otahulm Trotting Club the committee discussed the course adopted by certain clubs in connection with Mr H. Friedlander. and ■resolved that it disapproved .;of, the [action of Mr H. F. Nicoll in the ■■■'■'m'atl.tor. For myself, in my private capacity, I would scarcely have> troubled to move in this connection, but having tho honour to be your president, and as vice-president of the New Zealand Trotting Association. I considered it my duty to m.ike some inquiries as to this report, and by the courtesy of the Trotting Conference, delegates in Wellington, was able to have it made clear that no such resolution was over passed hv tlm flub referred to. Further, the delegates present were good enough to pass a unanimous vote of confidence in me as a representative on the Trotting Association." / ■■ Mr A. Bray seconded the motion, which was carried without discussion. Election of Officers. The election of officers resulted as follows:—President, Mr H. F. Nicoll (re-elected) : vice-presidents < •Messrs T. Langley and J. I). Stewart (re-elected) ; bon. treasurer, Mr R. F. Curtis (reoJpHod); committeo (three), Messrs' W. Anderson 54, F. B. Robilliard 52, and

F. A. Smith 49, P. W. Seldon 31; stewards, Messrs W. Anderson, J. Heseltine, F. Knox, D. McDonnell, F. B Robilliard, F. W. Seldon, and F. A. Smith; .auditor, Mr F. W. Bowden (reelected). Free-for-AII Races.

Mr W. B. Denshire asked if it wero the intention to put on free-for-all races. Considering the satisfactory state of the finances, he thought that such races . should be put on.—The chairman said the oomnnttee had had the matter in view, but so far had not seen its way to ptit on a free-for-all race, on account of the club not having a two-days' meeting! If it had a twodays' meeting .I]O' thought the committee would at once institute such a raco.—Mr D. McDonnell agreed with Mr Den shire. He said that any free-for-all races that had been put on had been certainties for certain horses. No horse that had ever been favourite in a froc-for-all race had ever won. The New Brighton Trotting Club had been trying to push the free-for-all races, and he thought the Ashburton Club should try the experiment. It did not follow that the best race on the club's programme should be made the free-for-all race. He moved that it be a recomendation to the Executive to put on a free-for-all r4ce. —Mr Denshire seconded the motion;'. He said he did not "agree with Mr McDonnell that a maiden race should he made a-free-for-all race. If a. free-for-all race were, not the first race in the programme, it should be; pretty near to it.. His own idea was that a free-for-all race should be one exclusively for horses that had been handicapped out of all chances of winning any race. He considered that the race should be for 3-year-olds, and run on classic lines—nomination free, first forfeit, second forfeit, first payment and acceptance.—The chairman said the club would have no chane of getting the best horses to run in a free-for-all raco unless a big stake were offered, say, something in the vicinity of £1000.—Mr«W. Anderson said £he chairman had stated earlier in the meeting that all clubs were acting carefully with the stake money this 3 rear. He thought Ashburton should do tho same. At the present time the club was getting some of the best performers in New Zealand at its meetings, and he thought the club should not experiment yet a while in free-for-all races. He moved as an amendment that consideration of the question be deferred till tho next annual meeting.— Mr J. Heseltine seconded the amendment, which was carried.

Votes of thanks were passed to the officials. The president remarked that the secretary (Mr A. A. Fooks) was favourably known throughout the Dominion as a capable secretary. The Executive, too, was a very able body, and had tho confidence of owners and trainers. ,

A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the business.