TROTTING Waikato Night Series Most Successful

Press, Volume C, Issue 29474, 28 March 1961, Page 4

TROTTING Waikato Night Series Most Successful

The decision of the Waikato Trotting Club to change from day to night trotting aroused considerable interest throughout New Zealand. The wisdom of making the change was confirmed when the club ran a four-night meeting this month. The club received record support and totalisator receipts both on and off-course showed tremendous increases.

Attendances over the four nights amounted to slightly less than 32,000, with a record figure estimated at 10,500 attending the first night on March 4.

On - course totalisator figures amounted to £220,643 10s, a record for a single season by the club. Last year investments at four day meetings amounted to £126,846. Off - course investments amounted to £277,454 15s, more than double the previous best of £ 138,292 10s handled off-course by the club in the 1954-55 season. The grand total for the four nights was £508,098 5s The previous best was £318,608 5s in the 1954-55 season. The record total on-course for one day by the club was not exceeded. The best was £60.256 in May, 1954.

The success of this month’s meeting showed the night trotting will be far more successful than day meetings. The Waikato club reached

its peak in the 1954-55 season and although stakes were increased to a record figure of £11,975 the following season, totalisator receipts started to decline sharply. The club lost ground badly and stakes for the four days last season amounted to only £8825, while on-course turnover amounted to £ 126,846 and off-course to £107,144 ss.

The club anticipated the increase in support for its night meetings and increased stakes for the four nights to a record £12,395. After the success of the meeting it is expected that further increases will be made next season and also that the club will tighten classes. However, any tightening of limits will have a serious effect on the flow of horses through the classes. The Waikato club has until this

season catered mainly for the maiden and improving pacers and trotters. At this month’s meeting only one race for maiden pacers was run, compared with six during the four days last year. Maiden trotters also had their opportunities restricted. They had only one race, compared with one on each of the four days last year. Equalisator The loss of those maiden races will be compensated for to a degree tonight at an equalisator meeting at Claudelands. when two races for maiden pacers and one for maiden trotters will be run. Each race will carry a stake of £2OO, £4OO of the £6OO to be distributed having been donated by the Waikato club. The deficit of three races for maiden pacers and two for maiden trotters will not be overcome this season and it seems as though the position could be further complicated as additional clubs change to night trotting and become more prosperous. The problems created by clubs tightening classes have been investigated by the New Zealand Trotting Conference, and also by trotting clubs throughout New Zealand. No method of overcoming the difficulties has as yet been announced, but it is understood that several solutions are being considered.

It is understood that there will be a meeting of all North Island trotting clubs in the next few months. It is hoped that a means of overcoming the difficulties at present obvious will be overcome.