Trotting HUTT PARK POSTPONED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29385, 12 December 1960, Page 18

Trotting HUTT PARK POSTPONED

Track “Unsafe” After Rain “The Press" Special Service WELLINGTON, December 11. The opening night of the Wellington Trotting Club's December meeting, which was postponed on Saturday, will be held at the Hutt Park Raceway on Tuesday night The president of the club. Mr V. C. McPhail, issued the following statement:— “The committee met at 12.45 p.m on Saturday because of the deluge of rain in the Hutt Valley in the preceding 24 hours. For the first time since the new track was laid pools of water were lying over the inside of the main track “After consultation with the Meteorological Office the committee reluctantly decided that the track was unsafe for racing This was confirmed by several trainers and drivers. Authority was requested for the meeting to be postponed till Tuesday and this was granted ’’ Surprise The broadcast announcement early on Saturday afternoon that the meeting was postponed came as a surprise to dwellers on the city side of the harbour, where the weather was cloudy but fine except for a few brief light showers However, on the Petone side of the harbour it rained from daylight on Satuday till late in the afternoon. The weather then cleared and except for a heaw shower about 9 p.m. was fine during the period that the meeting would have been held. The track, which was slopny in the afternoon, dried out fairly well by evening and could have been used withou 4 much risk to either drivers or horses. Questioned about the club’s claim when it converted to night trotting that it had an all-weather track. Mr McPhail said the experience of the week-end had proved that certain drainage difficulties, accentuated by the rise of the adjacent tide, had nullified this claim for the time being, but steps were being take immediatelv to try to rectify this trouble. The second day ot the meetins is scheduled for Wednesday, but th' dub is applying to transfer to Thursdav Because of the change of Government on Monday considera’ion of this application mav be referred to the incoming Minister.