RACING Date clash will pose problems

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33155, 20 February 1973, Page 8

RACING Date clash will pose problems

Is Christchurch geared for afternoon gallop: and night trots on the same day?

The Racing Author-1 ity believes so by its selection of May 23 as one of the new trotting i dates for Addington this year. That date, falling on a Wednesday, was also allo-. cated to the Canterbury | Jockey Club months ago. Night trotting allows room for manoeuvre in the allocation of dates, and one week night is, by and large, as good as any other. In this situation the decision to place | , the trotting meeting on the i same date as the gallops is a puzzling one, and if attempts I to alter the situation are re- ’ > sisted there will be a heavy i ‘crop of difficulties to sur-l mount. Several totalisator and i other course employees nor- j mally work at both galloping; and trotting meetings in I : Christchurch. These would! have to carry a heavy work! 7 load in the situation contem-1 plated for May 23. The difficulties would be | J j even greater, perhaps insup-1 iterable, for the one catering!

firm that sendees both Ric-1 carton and Addington. By May quinellas will, it j is expected, have been intro-’ j duced at Riccarton. This j ! form of wagering requires; special equipment that is al-s ready in use at Addington but is portable and would be| shared with Riccarton on the ! introduction of quineila betiting by the Canterbury’] I Jockey Club. The transfer of such equip- ! ment from one course to an-: lother is something that can-] ! not be done in a great hurry I

I — not within the scheduh (demanded by a late after I noon finish at the gallops an< (an early evening start at thi ! trots. I Officials of the Canterbun Jockev Club studied aspect; of quineila betting when i jwas introduced at Addingtoi recently. When quinellas will be in j traduced to Riccarton is no vet certain but if proposal! (the C.J.C. places before tht ’totalisator company are ac (ceptable they might be avail : able at Easter