RACING GOES ON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20185, 1 March 1940, Page 10

RACING GOES ON

RUMOURS UNFOUNDED TURF CLUB FIXTURES CONFIDENCE IN OFFICERS BETTER ENTRIES SOUGHT Rumours that ‘he Poverty Bay Turf Club would not continue to conduct race meetings in the district, after the comparative failure of the summer meeting, owing to the smallness of the fields, were disposed of at a meeting of the committee of the club, at which the programme for the May meeting, and preliminary arrangements for the Centennial fixture in October, were discussed. The programme for May 11 and 13 was approved for submission to the district committee. Discussing the position of the club to-day, a prominent official expressed the hope that the announcement concerning forthcoming meetings would put a stop to the rumours that racing was to be discontinued in the Gisborne district. These reports had done -a great deal of harm to the club, and in endeavouring to find their source, members of the committee had reached the conclusion that a small section of the public had taken the opportunity of criticising unfairly. Confidence in Officials Many people who had passed on reports of a harmful - nature were unaware of the damage which they were helping to do. Others appeared to welcome the opportunity to give the club a knock, possibly on account of personal differences with officials. At yesterday’s meeting, regret was expressed that certain officials had been embarrassed by innuendoes concerning the carrying out of their duties, and a motion expressing the confidence of the committee in the officials referred to was carried unanimously. It was pointed out at the same time that people with grievances against the club or against officials had a duty to come out into the open, and use the channels provided by the district committee and the Racing Conference. The committee agreed that in view of present-day conditions, added inducements must be offered to owners in other districts to send their horses to Gisborne. It was decided that a maximum of £6 per horse be allowed towards the cost of transport, the former maximum having been £4. Stakes for the May meeting have been fixed at £I4OO, which is £l2O above that allotted to the February fixture. It is hoped that donations of cash and trophies will much enhance the value of the various events.