Morning decision on Bay of Plenty

Press, 24 June 1985, Page 34

Morning decision on Bay of Plenty

Special correspondent Auckland Whether the Bay of Plenty Racing Club holds Saturday’s postponed meeting today should be decided by 7.30 this morning. “In everyone’s interests a decision will have to be made by then,” said the secretary, Mr Don Hancock, yesterday. “And it’ll be just as important to make known that we are racing if that’s the case.” Speaking from the Gate Pa course late in the afternoon, Mr Hancock said the surface water had cleared from the track though remained in the infield carpark. “Whether we race depends a lot on the weather in the next 12 hours,” he said. £ Mr Hancock said “torren-

tial” rain had fallen early yesterday morning leaving water lying 300 mm deep in the section from the 1600 m barrier to the course proper. “The course staff have since been out putting in soak holes round the track and this has been pretty effective. As I say, it’s now clear of surplus water." The day itself produced only passing showers and Mr Hancock had learned from the weather office that some improvement was expected. If the club did not race today, he said, it would be forced to abandon the meeting.

Saturday’s postponement, on account of the saturated track, was made at 10.15 a.m., or 50 minutes before the first race was scheduled to start. No one had paid to enter the course.

The postponement was the second in succession for the club, which for the same reason was forced to call off its April meeting after four races. The club had raced for 112 years without such interruption. Tom’s Dice, the early favourite for the D.B. Draught Trophy Race, got as far as Matamata on Saturday and Prince Majestic, also from Takanini, and certain to be well backed in the Mr Chips Classic, was only a few kilometres on the journey. The trainer, Bruce McLeod, was yesterday hoping Tom’s Dice had got some benefit from the trip, compared with the gallop he would otherwise have had.

Prince Majestic, said his trainer, Ray Verner, was taken. swimming later on Saturday.