THE INFLUENCE OF RACING

Evening Star, Issue 21639, 7 February 1934, Page 2

THE INFLUENCE OF RACING

There was a time when racing was looked upon as the sport of the wealthy, but to-day it is the pastime of the people, and thanks to the far-sigbtod-ness of the dominion’s early pioneers and the excellent management of those in charge of racing clubs this healthy form of recreation has boon brought within the compass of all pockets. During the past seventy years the sport in Dunedin has been controlled by some of the province’s loading professional and business men, who at great financial risks to themselves have now provided the public with an excellently appointed racecourse. To the general public racing is a most attractive sport, but few of them realise the enormous cost at which a day’s racing is produced.

Lovers of the thoroughbred have spent many thousands of pounds in establishing studs in different parts of the country, and clubs still more on racecourses, some of which compare favourably with the best in England. All this has been done without any prospect of gain to the individual. The photograph on this page is a view taken at Mr L. .G. Hazlett’s Salisbury Stud, showing the fine buildings and the progeny of one of his favourite brood marcs, Droski. This marc is the granddam of Ventrac and Amy Johnson, two well-fancied candidates racing to-mor-row.

But still more important to the dominion the sport of racing lias become a great circulator of money, not only in the way of stakes and dividends from the totalisator and the huge amounts paid in wages both on and off racecourses, but amongst business firms, and therefore directly and indirectly a great provider of labour. After the Melbourne Cup had been run last November it was authoritatively stated that the wearing apparel of the ladies present represented an expenditure of £300,000, and that a large portion of that money would not have been spent but for the attraction at Flcmington. Wingatni is mjt Flcmington, but Guo Day at Wingatni is one of the social functions of Dunedin, and the business people of the city benefit accordingly. The other photographs on this page depict the fashions of both sexes worn at the first mooting held on the Wingatni course thirty-five years ago next month.