SOUTHLAND COURSE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31341, 11 April 1967, Page 4

SOUTHLAND COURSE

Racing Cancelled (N.Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL. There will be no more racing on the Southland Racing Club’s course at Invercargill this season. The Winton Jockey Club, which was to have raced on the course on May 13, will be asked to seek another venue for its meeting. The Southland Club, which was to have held Its winter meeting on May 20, will consider racing elsewhere, but may abandon the meeting, which in the past has proved unprofitable. The decision to close the course for the rest of the season was made by the Southland Club after Messrs J. A. Poulsen, of Auckland, chief stipendiary to the New Zealand Racing Conference, and N. B Holland, president of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association, inspected the course yesterday. Considerable improvements have been carried out since the dub last raced in January when jockeys and trainers threatened to boycott future meetings because they “considered the course dangerous."

Mr W. A. H. Thompson, president of the Southland Club, said yesterday that the dub was happy to accept the recommendations of Messrs Poulsen and Holland, who had discussions with dub officials after inspecting the course. “My feelings are that the Southland Club 'may have to abandon its winter meeting. The money that is usually lost at this meeting can be used to advantage on improvements to the course,” said Mr Thompson. Mr I. R. Kincaid, president of the Winton Club, said that his dub would probably bold its winter meeting on its home course. The only other alternative was to abandon the meeting.