TROTTING New Brighton Club Loses £5331 In Year

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30793, 3 July 1965, Page 6

TROTTING New Brighton Club Loses £5331 In Year

A loss of £5331 is shown in the accounts to. be presented at the annual meeting of the New Brighton Trotting Club next Thursday night. The club showed a profit of £2012 for the previous year when it held two meetings at its own course and two night meetings at Addington Raceway.

The club had been dogged by unfavourable weather for night racing, a factor which had seriously affected' attendances and oncourse totalisator turn-over, says the report of the president (Mr W. F. Stark). Stakes had been maintained and the club had been granted an additional permit, which had been run under the worst weather conditions of. the season, says the report.

On-course turn-over for the season had exceeded £400,000 while off-course turn-over had been a record for the club, being in excess of £461,000. Both turn-overs were directly related to the granting of an extra permit to the club.

The deaths of 19 members are referred to in the report. Special reference is made of Messrs W. E. Desmond, B. J. McKenna and J. Lister.

Mr Desmond had been elected a member of the club in 1938, a steward in 1943, president from 1957 until 1959, and a member of the committee from 1949. until his death.

Mr McKenna had been elected a member in 1910 and a life member in 1943. He was president from 1921 until 1922, and again from 1940 until 1942. He was a member of the committee and a steward from 1915 until 1960. Mr Lister had been elected a steward of the club in 1960. but had retired after a few years because of ill-health. Mr H. E. Cook will succeed Mr Stark as president and Mr M. T. Dixon will become the new vice-president Mr A. G. Jamieson has been re-elected to the position of honorary treasurer. No elections will be necessary for vacancies on

the committee or among the stewards.

The club paid £29.850 in stakes for its five days and nights of racing, an average of £5970 a permit, while the

previous season £23,547 was distributed, an average of almost £5887. For Course The club paid £11,349 as its contribution towards the maintenance of Addington Raceway. This was a big increase on the £6634 of the previous year when the club raced on only two nights. Totalisator expenses increased to £8035 from £6686, while race meeting expenses rose from £6063 to £7690. General expenses showed a slight drop, amounting to £5145, compared with £5266. Totalisator receipts amounting to £42,838 provided the bulk of the club’s income. This figure was up considerably on the £37,774 of the previous year. Gates receipts for five days and nights amounted to £5743, compared with £6301 for four meetings during the previous year. This . item alone shows the tremendous difficulties caused by unfavourable weather. Nomination and acceptance fees amounted to £4912, compared with £3994. The club received £3022 by way of interest, compared with £2447. and members’ subscriptions and entrance fees amounted to £2500. compared with £2710. The balance-sheet shows that the Christchurch City Council owes £22,000 as the balance of the purchase price of Queen Elizabeth II Park. This is £lO,OOO less than 12 months ago. The club has made a loan of £19.970 to Addington Trotting Course, Ltd., and another of £l9OB to the Totalisator Agency Board.

Grand National Hurdle

(N.Z. Press Assn.— Copyright) MELBOURNE. Contador will, be New Zealand's only representative in the Grand National Hurdle to be run over three miles at Flemington today. Contador the second top-weight, will carry lost 121 b. The field Is:—Hot Son 11-0-Contador 10-12: Wilderness 10-s-Exactly, Kooroshali 0-12: Halo Sun 9-9: Moonview 9-8- Aravlno Ord. Royal Sedan 0-7; Lusillo' McEwan 9-5: Cashel. Without Fear 9-4: Flying Judge 9-0