DUSTY AND ROUGH

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30437, 11 May 1964, Page 4

DUSTY AND ROUGH

Oamaru Track

Dangerous

The Oamaru course has probably never been in worse condition that it was for the Oamaru Trotting Club’s winter meeting on Saturday. Although no meeting had been held on the course since early in January, there was hardly any grass next to the rails and the whole surface was most uneven, with many bare patches. Clouds of dust obscured the drivers for much of the races, and leaving the straight many drivers could not see where they were going. Many horses were involved in minor skirmishes due solely to the state of the track and it was fortunate there were no serious accidents.

H. S. Donaldson received numerous injuries when Kelso Lady fell and Reapon went over the top of her in the Welcome Handicap. Whether that incident was due to the state of the track is not certain.

The meeting was held in fine, cool weather before a good attendance. Totalisator investments oncourse amounted to £41,619 5s for a nine-race programme, including £5774 15s on the two doubles, compared with £40,817 10s last year for an eight-race programme.

Off - course investments, amounting to £61,486 10s, showed a slight decline.