THE TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB AND THE AUCKLAND REGATTA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6571, 8 December 1882, Page 5

THE TAKAPUNA JOCKEY CLUB AND THE AUCKLAND REGATTA.

We are surprised that the Takapuna Jockey Club could make such a serious miatake as to fix their summer meeting for the 29th of JaDuary next (Anniversary Day), knowing, as the stewards must have known, that that day has always been set apart for the holding of our annual regatta. That they could deliberately, and in a spirit of opposition, decide to hold their races upon that day of all others, is such an insult that we feel confident the public will resent it in a most emphatic manner. Because the Auckland Regattas have ever siuce they were started been so great a success, it is no reason why the Jockey Club should have shown this spirit of envy, especially when they also knew at the time their club was formed the matter of holding meetings en anniversary (lays was then discussed, and it decided not to oppose the Auckland Regatta. The Takapuna Jockey Club stewards (with only one or two exceptions) are also committee men of the North Shore Regatta, and they must therefore have known that this is not the first time they have opposed old established associations. We allude to the selection of the 9th of November for their regattas. That day has, for years past, always been devoted to the Auckland Agricultural and Pastoral Association Show and do the North Shore Jockey-Regatta Committee say that they have not done injury to this association by their opposition ? No one with a grain of common sense but will say that the Agricultural Show is of greater importance to the province than all such hor.se racing and small regatta meetings put together. And so with the annual regatta ; that also is of far greater importance than an insignificant horse race meeting a; the North Shore. Auckland being a purely maritime port, it behoves all who desire the prosperity of the port to see that this regatta is kept up to a standard fitting the impertance of our port. Our merchants show they ar« fully alive to the great good that is being ione by the holding of this regatta in stimulating the building of finer vessels of all rig year by year, by the very liberal subscriptions they freely give. From 1576 to 18S2 (seven years) a sum of no less than £3925—an average ot £S(JO each year (excluding cups which are given, and which would swell this total by fully another £53 each year), has been expended in cash prizes, &c., and the whole of this large turn has been collected from Auckland. Can anyone, in the face of these figures, say that the North Shore Jockey-Regatta Clubs are not showing a spirit of rivalry that must be detrimental to their obtaining for the future that liberal support that is so uecessary for the successful carrying out of all sports, and the North Shore clubs, to carry on their races and regattas, have to come into Queen-street for the money, for without the assistance of Auckland they could not raise sufficient to give a £50 meeting. It is to be hoped the public of Auckland will remember this when the North Share JockeyRegatta Club again comes round hat in hand. Not content with taking, inßuch an unsportsmanlike manner, both the Auckland Regatta and *■> gricultural Association's days, we understand they have also taken up the day on which the I'ouaonby people hold their regatta, to hold their autumn race meeting on. They might as well tako up Boxing Day and the , Ist and 2nd of January and so complete the farce. At the meeting on Wednesday evening the treasurer laid before the stewards a statement of revenue he expected from the 29th of January meeting, which sounded very much like the fable et " Counting your chickens before they are hatched," and this same gentleman further informed the meeting that they were not likely to have the Auckland press against them in their determination to hold the meeting on the '2fltU January, because the Jockey-Regatta Club were large advertisers. Mr. Vosper must In; a little more discreet in his remarks. Further than giving them that advice we do not feel disposed to say more upon that subject. It is said that this Jockey-Re-gatta Committee consider that the Auckland Regatta should be held at the North Shore. They are certainly not going the proper way to work to obtain that end, and making so many enemies by their running ia opposition to almost everything that has been or is got up on this side of the water.