FORBURY TROTTING CLUB

Evening Star, Issue 14225, 26 November 1909, Page 4

FORBURY TROTTING CLUB

THE INAUGURAL RACES TO-DAY.

Good luck smiled on the Forbury Park Trotting Club to-day. The, one anxiety beforehand was as to the weather that this changeable spring, would give fdr opening day, but all apprehensions on that score vanished in the early mornings tho steady N.E. breeze that set in guaranteeing u fine day. Tho new coursa looked a perfect picture, and visitors, in complimenting tho club, very properly reinembered the good work of Mr \V. Henderson, the caretaker, who had everything as smart as Ascot.

Prior to the starting of the racing a number of representative citizens and members of other clubs and public bodies assembled in the stewards’ room at the invitation of the president, Mr W. J. Gore. Amongst those present were the Mayor (Mr Walker), the town clerk (Mr Richards), Crs Burnett, White, Keast, Tapper and Sullivan, Messrs Jas. Hazlett, Peter Miller, W. L. Philp, S. S. Myers, G. B. Bullock (representing the Dunedin Jockey Club), J. B. Dick,' C. F. Grecnslade, ancl a number of gentlemen connected with local sport. llio toast of “The King” having been honored,

Ibc Mayor said he 1 hanked the president of the Trotting Chib for the invitation to tho members of the City Council. The body appreciated the work done to the grounds and the improvements in the buildings, realising that this would be a valuable City asset, although in the Borough of St KiJda. Many persons thought that tho City should have acquired Forbury Park—(hear, hear)—and it was a good thing that tho club had retained a portion of it for the use practically of the public.

The President (Mr Gore) said that his club were gratified to s?e so many influential gentlemen present'. Up to date the chib had expended something like £IO,OOO on tho purchase of the ground and improvements to tho buildings, and whilst the expenditure had been primarily for a trotting track, it was intended to devote llio Park lo all classes of sport.—(Applause.) The inner area was being prepared for the use of cricketers, footballers hockey players, and so forth. He would remind the company of what had been done for that very useful animal, the trotting horse, by this and other clubs. ' A fow_ years ago a horse that could do a mile in smin was reckoned fairly fast, whereas to-day if a horse, shortly, after beiim broken, could not do a mile in 2min 40sec ho was not reckoned worth keeping, and there were hundreds of horses in the Dominion that could do 2min 20sec or better Tho one drawback to the Park was the want of a tram service to the gate. Ho presumed that tho Tramways Committee wore keeping this steadily ‘in view. If St. Kilda and St. Clair wore joined bv way of Victoria road ho thought that that would he a profitable investment for the City Council. Anv flue Saturday fully 600 persons might bo seen playing - hockey —to say nothing of other sports—on this ground. He called on Mr Cohen to say a few words.

Mr Cohen said that he was there as one of the audience, not expecting to bo called on to say anything. But iti response to the president’s invitation he confessed that ho had fondly hoped to be present at a similar function’ but under very different auspices. As they all knew, he'took some part in trying to acquire Forbury Park for the benefit of thecitizcns at large, and be could not help saying that if he had been treated fairly, or'‘that if his proposals had been dealt with on their merits, ins ambition would in all probability have been gratified. It was not his fault, however, that his scheme had miscarried, for ho had never worked harder in his life than to get I* or bury Park for the benefit ot Dunedin for all time. That was past, and its failure would be regretted by Dunedin only once, and that would be always. He was there to congratulate the Forbury 1 rotting Club on their enterprise, and to wish them every success, sinco their present had declared that the club meant to find a homo for all classes of pport. He joined Mr Gore in hoping that the City Council would see to it that the park was promptly linked up with the Citys tram system, but by a route that would study the interests of the citizens as a whole. There was no disguising tbe position of racing as a sport; it was in a pretty tight corner just now, and if the totalisator was to bo maintained it would depend wholly on the action of the clubs using it. Hestronglv counselled thoForbirrv Park Chib to nip in the bud any attempt improper practices, and to keep their spoiT absolutely clean on all and every occasion. They had to look to the public for their main support, and the public would only rally to them when they maintained sport at a high level. Mr H. F. Nieoll and Mr W. G. Garrard as representing the Trotting Association! expressed the opinion that the sport was carried out in tile cleanest wav hv the present club. H ,'P'c President proposed the toast of ‘ .1 he Visitors,” and this was responded to bv Mr W. J. Beckett and Mr W. Tonks. The first rider weighed out on the new course was Francis Gallagher. twenty bookmakers were licensed, paying 15gs for a station inside and 10gs outside. There was a very largo attendance. The Citizens’ Band played. Results to hand : INAUGUR AL HANDICAP, 75 sovs; second 11] sore, third 3] sovs. l-]m. Mr H. F. Nicoll’s Tring Park, hv Rothschild—Lincoln Yet mare, ISsec -ii t i t. ~ (A. Pringle) 1 Mr J. A. Buckland’s Lenore. 15sec Mr W. Caffel’s Time, ISsec... (W. Jones) 3 Also started: Sunny Bov (scratch), Teddy (7scc), Lily R. (lOsoc), Cronje (ISsec); Octave (15sec), Farrier (16scc), General Abdallah (ISsec). All Mount (ISsec). Gladiator (ISsec). Marven (18, sec), Tracy Lee (ISsec), and Ardiochan (ISsec). Gladiator was away first, but Tring Park and Lenore passed him after a quarter of a mile, and thereafter these two had the race to themselves, Tting Park winning comfortably by three lengths, with Time six lengths away and Gladiator fourth. Time, 4min Igsec. Lenore was favorite PONY HANDICAP, 35 sovs; second 5 sovs.' l]m. Mr N. Smith’s Neglected, hv Young Li-vington. 27sec ‘ (Owner) 1 Mr Meade s Major Taylor, scratch ... T TT . , ~ (F- M'Kewen) 2 Mr J. Harris s Envy, 27sec (E. M'Cann) 3 Also started: Blackey (ISsec), Aquinas (ISsec). Generosity (24sec), Scnndo (24sec). May \ixen (24see), and Brown Patch (27? Ec). Neglected got a strong lead at once, and the only problem throughout the race was whether Major Taylor could catch her. She won by eight lengths; Envy away down the straight. Time, 4min 24|sec. May Vixen was favorite. PRESIDENTS HANDICAP (in harness), of 175 sove ; second .horse to receive £26 ss, and third £8 16s from the stakes. Driver of the winner to receive a gold medal, value £5 ss, mesented by Mr W. J. Gore. 2m. Mrs R. 0. Duncan’s hr m Marie Narelle, by Ribbonwood—Vanquish. 19sec tf * t < , , (N. E. Price) 1 Mr R. Joppa Jack Tracey, ISsec -.r i-, LV Pringle) 2 Mr Iv. Bowes b Eoseneatb, ISsec (C. Kerr) 3 Also started : Dick Fly (scratch), Wilkie (2sec), Verai (6sec), First Pet (ISsec), Royal Colot’s (l7eec). Marie Narelle led all the way. After going ten furlongs Jack Tracey made a verv vigorous challenge, and almost caught her, but died away in the last lap, finally by a spurt getting within a length and.a-half of Marie Narelle, who, however, won rather comfortably. The third horse was twenty lengths away, Verax fourth. Time, 6min 4sec. Mario Narelle was favorite,