RACECOURSE MAY BE UNIVERSITY SITE

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30420, 20 April 1964, Page 5

RACECOURSE MAY BE UNIVERSITY SITE

(N Z. Press Association —Copyright)

MELBOURNE, April 18. The Moonee Valley racecourse in Melbourne—home of the Alister Clark Stakes, the W. S. Cox Plate and the Moonee Valley Cup—may be taken over for a university. ' The Essendon City Council has asked the Victorian premier, Mr Henry Bolte, to build Melbourne’s third university on the 90-acre racecourse. The council made the suggestion to the Premier in a letter after a council meeting on April 6, it was reported today. The racecourse, four miles and a half from the city, is owned bv Moonee Valley Racing Cr. A. S. McDonald, of Essendon Council, said today his council believed it would be the ideal site for a university. “Amenities already there, such as sewerage, electric light and transport, would save Elm,” he said. “Most of the people who will attend the third university won’t have much money to spend on fares, so it would be a disadvantage to build it too far away.” The secretarv of Moonee Valley Racing Club, Mr W. S. Cox, said: “They’re too silly for any-, thing. They’re always putting' suggestions to the Government. He would not discuss it any further. Cr. McDonald said the racecourse had outlived its usefulness. "When Sandown Park . racecourse comes into opera- : tion. there will be only 14 meetings a year at Moonee ValI ley,” he added. “There are now more than 20 meetings a . year at the course. The remaining 14 meetings could be I held at Flemington.”

Essendon City Council has led several moves to have racing stopped at Moonee Valley and the racecourse used for other purposes.

In August, 1960, it suggested that racing should stop there at the end of the 1964-65 .season and the Housing Commission should take over the land for housing development. This plan was dropped when it was estimated that the land would cost about £2500 a block. Earlier, the council had pressed to have the racecourse converted into a shopping centre and car park. Destroyed ■ (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) MELBOURNE, April 19. The New Zealand-bred sprinter The Dan? was destroyed after breaking his neaf fore fetlock in the First Royal Park Handicap, at Moonee Valley yesterday. The Dane, winner of six faces, was second to Pardon Me in the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in February. The Royal Park Handicap was won by Choultry, which firmed from 12/1 to 9/1 and scored by half a length from Bouffon (6/1), with Nikalapko (4/1) half a head away third. Downswept, the 5/2 favourite, was a close fourth. The Dane made most of the running and led around the home turn. He broke his fetlock I half-way down the straight.