TROTTING New Addington Stand Will Cost £137,355

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28840, 10 March 1959, Page 4

TROTTING New Addington Stand Will Cost £137,355

A tender of £137,355 for the erection of a new stand and an adjoining three-storey amenities block at the Addington trotting course has been accepted by the directors of Addington Trotting Course, Ltd., in conjunction with the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club and the Canterbury Park Trotting Club. The successful tenderer is the Wilkins and Davies Construction Company, Ltd. Altogether there were six tenders submitted for the project.

The new stand will replace the stand which was burnt down in November, 1953, and also the old leger stand which has been used for some years under a provisional permit. Demolition of the leger stand has begun. AU the seating accommodation and about a third of the weatherboards from the rear of the building have already been removed and a start has been made on the dismantling of the corrugated iron root This job, which was let under a separate contract, will be completed by April 4. The contractor said yesterday that he expects to have it finished in another fortnight. The new stand, which will seat 1411 persons, will provide accommodation for both the public and members of the two trotting clubs. Access to the public portion of the stand will be from the front and members will enter from the amenities block which will be built at the rear of the stand. Faciltles for members, which at present are situated at various points around the grounds, will aU be centralised in the new amenities block. This building wiU be connected to the existing members’ stand by wide crossovers on the first and second floor levels.

The ground floor of the amenities block win provide a large foyer, a cafeteria with modern kitchen accommodation and an access stairway to the upper floors. A mixed bar, women’s powder room and totalisator windows win be situated on the first floor. The top floor will have a large bar, toilets and washrooms for men, and the main betting area. A fun view of the totalisator from an floors wiU be provided by a circular bay with large plate glass windows. The present members’ bar, at

the back of the main stand, and the members’ tea rooms in the tea kiosk will become available to the public. It is expected that the new stand and amenities block will take about 18 months to complete. Mr C. C. Lamb is the architect.

Dusky Minstrel Sold Mr and Mrs A. J. Cunningham, of Christchurch, who race Gay Cobra in partnership, have purchased the four-year-old pacer Dusky Minstrel from Mr R. A. McKenzie, of Wellington. Dusky Minstrel, which will continue to be trained at Yaldhurst by G. B. Noble, will probably have his first start for his new owners in the Seadown Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday. Dusky Minstrel gained his fourth placing from eight starts this season in the Walhi Handicap No. 2 at Orari last Saturday week. In that race he pulled fairly hard about six places from the lead for the first six furlongs. He was given more rein on the home turn and joined Foreign Capitol and Schnapps in the'traillng position, behind Black Student and Demoro, coming to the straight Over the last furlong he proved no match for Schnapps but was a comfortable second. Dusky Minstrel, a gelding by U. Scott from Virginia Song, is a brother to the useful pacers, Zagar and Scottish Song. He should soon win. Heavy Entries The New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club has received 54 nominations for the two nontotalisator maiden events to be run at the Easter meetings at Addington on March 21 and 2a Unless withdrawals are heavy before next Monday, when acceptances close for the first day, a ballot will be necessary. The maiden events, which will each carry a stake of £2OO, will be run before the first race on the programme each day. The maximum number of starters in each race will be 16. Lothario Changes Hands Lothario, an aged gelding by Radiant Walla out of Llewellyn's Pet, has been sold by Mr C. J. McLaughlin, of Mount Hutt, to Mr J. L. Schwatnm, of Palmerston North, Lothario has shown no form In three starts this season but last term he won two races and gained three places from 18 starts. His second win last season was at particularly long odds. That was In the Stewards’ Handicap at Washdyke in May when he was the outsider of 16 and returned a win dividend of £77 19s 6d.

Mr Schwamm has enjoyed a fair measure of success with straight-out trotters. Two which race in his colours at present are Perekop, which is trained by G. A. Collison, at Ashhurst, and Buller’s Pride which he races in partnership with Mr W. A. Craddock, president of the Westport Trotting Club, and trains himself. Perekop has won two races and has been placed five times from nine starts this season and Buller’s Pride has started four times for one win and two seconds.