TROTTING Successful Year Of Canterbury Park

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31123, 28 July 1966, Page 5

TROTTING Successful Year Of Canterbury Park

There had been a substantial increase in on and off-course turn-over and the year’s operations had resulted in the club making a profit of £4612, the highest in any year since the 1952-53 season, Mr T. A. Leitch, retiring president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club, told members when presenting his report at the annual meeting held at Addington Raceway yesterday.

Mr Leitch said the principal items which had contributed to the year’s success financially included an increase in the club’s share of the Totalisator Agency Board’s distribution of profits, the elimination of amusement tax on admissions and members’ subscriptions, the increase in the rebate of totalisator tax and the increased selling price of race books.

Mr Leitch said that he was pleased to report that totalisator turn-over records had been broken this season. Oncourse turn-over had exceeded £482,000, which was £24.000 greater than last season. The off-course turn-over of £462,000 had exceeded last season’s figure by more than £78,000. The combined turn-over for the season had exceeded £945,000. This had exceeded the previous highest total by slightly more than £lOO,OOO.

Mr Leitch said that it was interesting to note that the off-course investments on the first day of the New Year meeting had increased by more than £50,000. He attributed this to holding the meeting at night instead of during the day. Attendances Down

With the exception of the winter meeting when it was cold and showery in the late afternoon, conditions had been favourable, but attendance were slightly down on the previous season, said Mr Leitch, averaging just over 8000 a meeting.

During the season the club had run nine totalisator races at each of its five meetings and also held three non-tota-lisator events. Of the 45 totalisator races held, there had been three races for trotters at each meeting and 28 races had been started from behind 'the mobile barrier.

The results of races started from behind the mobile barrier this season confirmed that it was a mistaken belief that the inside horse had a great advantage, said Mr Leitch. Only two winners of the races started from the mobile barrier during the season had drawn the No. 1 position.

Of the other 26 winners two drew No. 2, two No. 3, four No. 4, three No. 5, five No. 6, two No. 7, three No. 8, and one No. 9 on the front line. From the second line there were two winners from the No. 1 position, one from No. 2 and one from No. 4. The results conclusively proved that there was no advantage to be gained by starting from any particular barrier position.

I Mr Leitch said that three new records had been created

at the club’s meetings during the season. Asia Minor, when running third, created new figures of 2min 37sec for a mile and a quarter for a trotter. At the autumn meeting Really Good won the Pilgrim Stakes for two-year-olds in 2min 5 1-5 sec, bettering Holy Hal’s record for the mobile start by one second. Westland King also bettered the then existing record by one second when he won the Two-year-old Trotters’ Trial in 2min 12 l-ssec at the winter meeting. In addition Disband, from behind the mobile barrier, equalled Caduceus’ New Zealand record of 2min 5 l-ssec for a mile and a quarter on the second night of the New Year meeting. In pursuance of its policy to encourage the young trotter the club had provided a £lOO stake for each of five events last season said Mr Leitch. Two were non-totali-sator events for three-year-olds and one for two-year-olds. The other two events, both for two-year-olds, were run on the club’s behalf by the Canterbury Owners’ and Breeders’ and the Rangiora Trotting Club. Mr Leitch told members that the committee had recently been successful in its submissions to the conference for relief under the handicapping system for two and three-year-old trotters racing in their own age group. It was announced by the conference last week that any race run solely for two-year-old trotters would be penalty free and in any races restricted to three-year-old trotters no penalty would be incurred if the total value of the stake was £5OO or less.

Improve Standard Mr Leitch said that arising from the conference decision the club’s committee had decided that later in the forthcoming season a race for three-year-old trotters with a stake of £5OO would be held. This did not mean that the policy of providing non-tota-lisator race for two and three-year-old trotters would be discontinued, but rather, that the new feature race would be the culmination of the club’s efforts to improve the standard of and the opportunities for young trotters.

Mr Leitch said that owners and trainers could rest assured that the Canterbury Park Trotting Club would take full advantage of the conference decision and he hoped that other clubs throughout New Zealand would support the move by providing races for the young trotters. Mr Leitch said that the club would revert to four days of racing next season. The New Year meetings, on December 31 and January 2, and the summer meeting, on February 11, would be night meetings. The winter meeting, on May 27 will be held in the daytime.