PARK RACECOURSE.

Gisborne Times, Volume LV, Issue 6203, 7 October 1921, Page 7

PARK RACECOURSE.

RAGING COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS. DISCUSSED BY GISBORNE r r RACING CLUB. „ At the annual meeting of the Gisborne Racing Club yesterday, reference was made by several speakers to the Racing Commission’s recommendation that the Gisborne Club should he amalgamated with the P.B. Turf Club, and that racing should take place at Makaraka. In opening, the President (Mr Barry) said the present time was the most critical in the history of the club. The Racing Commission, as they 'knew, had made a recommendation that the two clubs should be amalgamated. Personally, however, he did not think that would be carried out in practice. The district, m ins opinion, was fully entitled to two clubs. Through their isolation, they were not getting as much racing as other districts of similar size throughout the Dominion. In Poverty Bay they h'ad no racing from October to January. They badly needed a summer meeting, say, on either Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. He thought that instead of recommending an amalgamation, the club should have been given an extra day for the summer racing, which would be only fair to horse-owners. The business of the town also suffered through no racing being held at Christmas time. Anyone had only to go down to the wharf and see the steamer going away crowded with holidaymakers for other parts because in Gisborne there was nowhere 'to go. (Applause.)

Mr H. E. Bright, referring to the recommendation of the Commission, said he had noticed that the Napier Park and Avondale Clubs were making strenuous efforts to retain their licenses, and lie thought the Gisborne Racing Club should do its share to preserve its owm rights. The Napier Park Club liad presented a monster petition to the House, but the speaker thought petitions were not worth a “kick of one’s hat.” He would like to see a deputation go to Wellington, when the Commission’s recommendations were before the House and urge the claims of the club. Numerous local bodies, be pointed out, including the Te Hapara School Committee, the A % and P. Association, the A. and C.U., etc., had passed resolutions dissenting from the recommendations. The park racecourse was withing easy access of the town, and it had the advantage in being a dry ground available all the year round. He moved that a deputation be appointed to go to Wellington and present the club's claims when the matter come before the House.

Mr. J. A. Nicol seconded the j motion, and said he hoped the de- ; putation would he fully prepared with all the data available. He thought judging by the attitude taken by the chairman of the Rac- . ing Conference the Government j would probably act on tlie recom- j mendations of the Racing Cominis - j

sum. ; The motion was carried. Mr Bright suggested that as many different classes of racing as' possible should be represented on the deputation. j Mr O. Morse said he .had been training for many years, hut lie did not think he had spent erne month j on the Makaraka course curing the past five years. He had gone up there and found the ground good, but with a slight shower is was unworkable. In summer time if was like a brick. In winter no track work could be done in bad weather. It would he quite impossible to carry on training operations at Makaraka. Mr R. Hepburn said that as an old trainer lie testified to the value of the Park Club’s track. Mr W. Howard said a meeting of trainers had been held in connection with the matter, and the result was the following letter which was to he sent to the Minister of Internal Affairs. At a fully representative meeting of trainers of Poverty Bay, held at the Association room, Te Hap- ’ ara, it was Unanimously decided to protest against the report of the Commission recommending cancelling of anv further permit to the Gisborne Racing Club. It was decided that the said Commission were taking away from the said trainers the onlv inducement that made amends for the hardships that had to be undergone in preparing their horses for the strenuous tasks of racing. We contend that were they conversant • with the facilities offered by the G.R.C. tracks for training on, they would li<£ve given a little more consideration to those who get their Jiving by the care of the thorough bred in this district. It is a well-known fact that all trainers who have ' visited Poverty Bay have always been loud in their praise of the splendid all-the-year round conditions of the tracks. We can safely say that the only inducement to trainers to stay in this isolated district is the tracks and facilities for training given by tlie G.R.C., and should this course be closed down, there will be an- exodus of trainers from Poverty Bay. Whilst admitting from a spectacular point of view the buildings and appointments of the Poverty Bay Turf Club are more favorable than tlie G.R.C., we who have intimate knowledge of the two courses can. and do, say that as training tracks there is no comparison, and further proof of this is the unanimous admission of the trainers whose splendid quarters are adjacent to the P.8.T.C., mot only by voicing but by their going a considerable distance further to take advantage of the facilities given by the G.R.C. tracks, which, by the way, are at all seasons of the year in splendid order., We pray that you will givo this letter due consideration before any drastio measures are taken in closing one of. if not the best track in the Dominion.