Saturday dates preferred by Auckland

Press, 20 April 1982, Page 29

Saturday dates preferred by Auckland

Special corresondent Auckland / The Auckland and Thames Trotting Clubs are protesting strongly at some of the dates recommended for their meetings next season by a special committee set up by the combined committee of the Racing and Trotting Conferences.

Among the recommendatons is that the Auckland fretting Cup be held on a Friday evening instead of the traditional Saturday evening.

Mr Jim Patterson, the secretary of the Auckland Club, said yesterday the special committee also recommended the switch of two other Saturday evening meetings to Friday evenings.

“If it wasn’t so serious,” Mr Patterson said, “it would be laughable. . “Night trotting clubs have sought for years more Saturday nights. Racing clubs seem to have all the prime dates and it was thought any restructuring of dates would recognise this. But if the suggested dates are passed, night trotting clubs will be worse off than ever.

“The T-A.B. is important but it does not provide gatemoney. It has been conclusively proved attendances and course betting are bigger on Saturday evenings than on Friday evenings." Mr Patterson said the only reason the Auckland Trotting Cup was held this year on a Friday evening was because •of the one day International Cricket test at Eden- Park between New Zealand and Australia.

This drew a crowd of over 40,000 and had live television coverage. In its objection to the

dates, the club points out that more Saturday evening dates were expected for meetings in metropolitan areas.

Mr Patterson said this would mean clashes at the height of the season but Saturday was the traditional night out. Friday was late shopping night in many areas and there was a fear trotting would lose Friday, evening workers and shoppers to racing.

The Thames Club, which holds its meetings at Alexandra Park, is “extremely concerned," according to the secretary, Mr Ken Dalzell, over the club’s Cup night in December being switched from a Saturday to a Friday. “We fought hard to retain Saturday evenings for our meetings," he said, “and this happens.” “A Friday evening has already been allocated for our extra meeting next season and we have had to go to a Friday in April instead of our usual March date because of the Inter Dominion Championships."

Mr Dalzell echoed Mr Patterson’s remarks concerning* bigger attendances and gate-takings on Saturday evenings compared with Fridays. He cited Harold Park in

Sydney as an example of the comparative failure of Fridays as race nights. “They seldom get more than 8000 people at a meeting at Harold Park,” he said, “and Sydney hasn’t the same late night shopping set-up we have in New Zealand.

“In the United States, of course, Saturday is easily the biggest night for trotting. Dropping Saturday nights would be unthinkable.”

Mr Dalzell said his club was worried over the effect Friday evening meetings would have on membership and support generally from the Thames area.

“We put on buses for our meetings — for our last meeting four busloads went to Auckland. “Thames, for its size, is the most highly industrialised town, in New Zealand.

“It is not hard to imagine how many workers and businessmen would be able to get away at 3.15 p.m. on a Friday.” Weight to the argument for Saturday evenings against Friday evenings, especially on major occasions, was lent at the meeting at Alexandra Park last Friday. Delightful Lady’s final race appearance was an outstanding drawcard but the attendance was still less than 10,000. And the weather was ideal.