WAIKATO ACCEPTANCES

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 48, 26 February 1929, Page 12

WAIKATO ACCEPTANCES

THE AUTUMN MEETING. GOOD FIELDS ENGAGED. The following are the acceptances for the Waikato Trotting Club's autumn meeting at Claudelands on Saturday, March 2:— IMPROVERS' HANDICAP of 120sovs. One mile and a-half. (Limit 3.50.) Great Way . . T.t. Merrimax . . . Lt. Lochade . . . Lt. Wild Downs . Lt. Tamahine . . . Lt. yds. bhd. Garwood . . . Lt. Paradigm . . 12 Black Magic . I.t. Peter Brown . 30 Nelson Girl . I.t. Don Zolook 72 Te Ngutu .. . I.t. Bingen Starr 108 Brideford . . . Lt. PROGRESSIVE HANDICAP of 100sovs. One mile and a-lialf. (Limit 3.37.) Moko Chief . Lt. Red Kaven . . I.t. C'armel .... I.t. yds. bhd. Lord Lu . . . Lt. Gold Cast . . 12 I.ady Yvonne I.t. Vanity Boy . . 12 Mountain Dell Lt. Haerenga Pai . 12 Great Ballin . Lt. Golden Hope . 24 Gold Treasure Lt. Peter Pirate . 24 Zealous . . . Lt. Silver Link . 21 Oliver Thorpe T.t. Regret .... 24 Singlemint . . Lt. Limosa .... 30 Lady Linda . . Lt. WAIKATO CUP of 475sovs. Two miles. (Limit 4.36.) Warplane . . . Lt. Torpedo Huon . 24 Medusa .... Lt. Nelson Taskcr 24 . . . Lt. Goldmnn ... 36 Napland ... Lt. Lady Dnnmore 36 yds. bhd. Jean MciJiwyn 48 ' Gold Dial . . 12 Dundas Boy . 60 Florent .... 12 Loch Moigh . S4 Anselm .... 24 The Abbey . . S4 MEMBERS' HANDICAP of 220sovs. Two miles. (Limit 4.46.) Koro Feter . . Lt. yds. bhd. Bright Light . I.t. Gold Sovereign 48 Anseline . . . I.t. P. McKinney . 4S Etta Cole .. . Lt. The Tartar . . 60 Mutu .... 72 RAGLAN HANDICAP of lr.Osovs. Two miles. (Limit 4.44.) Moko Chiof . . Lt. Limosa . . . Lt. j Rolfe Audubon Lt. yds. bhd. L. Harrington Lt. Andover ... 12 Dad's Hope . . Lt. Cornelian ... 12 . Md. of Mounts. Lt. Hughie Wallace 72 WAIPA HANDICAP of 240sovs. One mile. (Limit 2.18.) ' Nella Dillon . Lt. Gold Dial . . 24 ' Tony Victor . Lt. Halgana 24 Cornelian .. . Lt. Medusa ... 24 ' yds. bhd. Wrackler ... 36 i Curfew Boy . 12 Goldman ... 60 ] DOMINION HANDICAP of 170 soys. Two : miles. (Limit 4.00.) ] Direct Action I.t. Wild Nut ... 12 i (ireat Way . . I.t. Anseline ... 24 , Koro Peter . . Lt. Bright Light . 30 Lndy Linda . . Lt. Bell Dial . . . 30 5 yds. bhd. Childe Audubon 4S s Trustworthy 12 The Tartar . . 108 \ FAREWELL HANDICAP of lSOsovs.' One mile and a-quarter. (Limit 2.07.) Lord Lu . . Lt. Marionette . . Lt Silver Link . Lt. yds. bhd. Haerenga Pai Lt. Enawah ... 12 Nella Dillon . Lt. Admiral Lock 24 Mountain Dell Lt. Md. of Mounts. 21 Gold Cast . . Lt. Dad's Hope . . 30 Regret .... Lt Anselm .... 84 Bell Dial ... Lt.

THE HUTT COURSE.

IMPROVEMENTS IN" HAND

Some little time ago the Wellington Trotting Club, realising that immediate steps must be taken to provide increased accommodation for their steadily-grow-ing public patronage, approached the Hutt Park Trustees with a view to getting a long term lease, so that the •lub would be able to finance an extensive scheme of improvements along modern lines. The Hutt Park Trustees, after consulting the local bodies affected, acceded to the club's request for a new lease, and the necessary legal steps were taken to give effect to the reso'ution of the controlling body. The club then carefully considered the requirements of the times and decided on a scheme of immediate improvement consonant with prudent finance.

One of the first considerations was to relieve the congestion that increased patronage had brought about in the public enclosures. This could only be effected by moving the racing tracks further to the north and to the east. The club's engineers, Messrs. Seaton, Sladden and Pavitt, were instructed to prepare plans and specifications, and to call for tenders.

The alteration to the tracks means the addition of some 75 or 80ft to the depth of the present lawns and enclosures. The racing track is to be extended from 50ft to 66ft, which should give ample room for the large fields that arej now contesting the maiden and improving classes. The shape of the track will' be exactly similar to the present one, I being six furlongs in circumference with two straights and two bends. The bends will be banked according to standard principles, the super-elevation being about four feet on the outer circumference of the bends. It is the intention of the club to race on this new track first with a dirt surface, so that it may become thoroughly consolidated before being sown with grass. It is anticipated that this will be effected by the late summer of next year so that the grass seed may be sown in the autumn of 1930. A elay training track is to be provided inside the grass track. This also is to be made much wider than the existing one and will be surfaced according to the latest ideas in this matter.

The bird-cage, in common with the other enclosures, will be considerably en-

larged, and the approach to it for the horses will be by a special drive-way down the front of the enclosures from the north-east corner of the saddling paddock. This will relieve drivers of the somewhat arduous task of forcing their charges through the crowds. This driveway will also extend along the front of the other enclosures to Randwick Road, so that contesting horses during the day may pass up and down without going on to the racing track as at present.

It is intended to placc the present 10/ totalisator entirely at the disposal of patrons of the outside enclosure, and the dividing fence between that enclosure and the lawn is to be moved to the cast so that the crowd can circulate completely round the outside totalisator. A passout check system will be arranged to allow lawn patrons occupying the old grandstand to make their investments on the outside totalisator if they do not feel inclined to walk the longer distance to the naddock machine.

The moving of the track to the north will mean not only greatly increased accommodation for the public, but will also provide greater parking space for the members' cars. Tenders for this work are now being called.

No time has been lost by the club in getting to work on the erection of the new grandstand. Tenders for this closed a little over a week ago, the successful tenderers being Messrs. J. H. Meyer and Co., and although the club raced on the track only as late as Saturday last, on Monday morning a gang of workmen were clearing the ground for the foundations of the new structure. The architects for the building have drawn up their plans and specifications on up-to-date lines, and the finish and appearance of the new building, in addition to its strength and carrying capacity, will leave nothing to be desired. The stand is to be a double one, the dimensions being 80 by 36ft exclusive of terraces, and the height 40ft at the top of the upper story. Both the upper and the lower parts of the stand carry ten tiers of seats with a total seating capacity of 800. In addition to that the stand will be faced with a concrete terrace of seven tiers rising from the back of the present grass bank beside the birdcage. This terrace will accommodate a further 400 people. Care has been taken to make the scats comfortable, and even the top portion, which will be unroofed, will be dry in all weathers. The access to the lower stand will be by way of a flight of steps leading from opposite the paddock totalisator to the terraces before mentioned. The top of the stand will be reached by a stairway of four flights of steps of easy grade. Bath ends of the lower stand will be glassed to their full extent, thus enabling patrons to fully view the races free from any side winds that may come up. The lower storey r> f the stand will be constructed of reinforced concrete, and the upper deck will be supported by seven enormous steel trusses.

The club has also decided to extend the accommodation of the old grandstand. Four extra rows of seats, accommodating some 250 people, are to be installed, and the ends are to be glassed to their full extent, so that a view of the racing may be obtained from any portion of the stand. A timber terrace of live tiers is to be run along the full length of the old stand, and it is estimated that this will provide accommodation for a further 400 people. The existing publican's booth space will be added to the public tearoom.