GORE RACING CLUB

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23529, 18 June 1938, Page 23

GORE RACING CLUB

ANNUAL REPORT The annual report of the committee of the Gore Racing Club, to be presented at the annual meeting states:“The not profit for the year’s work, after providing £432 5s Id for depreciation of the club’s assets, is that a profit of £lß2l 8s 6d has been added to the capital account, bringing the total up to £16.960 9s 5d The liquid assets are represented by cash in bank and in hand amounting to £2097 10s 7d fixed deposit £1533 15s, Post Olfice Savings Bank deposit £513 15s and Invercargill City debentures of a face value of £6OO, a total of £4745 0s 7d " The spring meeting held in October produced a profit of £2OOI 0s lid, and the summer meeting held in February returned £6O 18? 6d The result of the latter fixture showed the poorest return from the summer meeting for a number of years. The stakes amounted to £4300 an increase of £IOO over the previous vear The club still adheres to the win-and-place system of betting and a sum of £58,413 was pa-seel through the machine—£27,sll 10s win and £30,901 10s place—an increase over all of £3862 10s.

•* The works and track committees have been most attentive to the requirements of owners and trainers, and despite the -ecord dry season, a reasonable amount of track *vork has been possible and a Rood racing surface was available for all meetings. A sum of £256 13s 2d was expended in maintaining and keeping in repair the tracks and appurtenances during the year. Permanent work totalling about £660 has been carried out on the course property during the year, including additional concrete steps at the north end of the main stand, a new stable and implement shed, and an improved fence and gates at the mam public entrance It is proposed during the coming year to extend the fencing along the whole frontage of the club’s property The motor paddock Ls being extended and graded to accommodate more than double the number of cars formerly provided with parking space. A system of track drainage is being carried out which, it is hoped, will prevent excessive surface water from getting on the main tracks, and will do away with the present dangerous open ditches between the clay and the grass tracks. A great deal, if not all, of this work will, it is hoped, be completed before the spring meeting m October next.

“A larger number of horses than usual has been trained on the local tracks, and it is pleasing from time to time to notice that locally-trained horses are able to hold their own ai district races. “ Before another report is presented to members, the club will have entered into the fiftieth year of its existence as a sporting institution with its racing headquarters on the site of the present course, and it is hoped in some way to celebrate the event during the season.

"The number of club members is 96 nine having been added to the register while four have died and four resigned. The deaths occurred during the year of Messrs W. Baker and L. T. Symes (life members) and F. S. Graham and W. White, and the sympathy of members is extended to their relatives. " The following candidates have been nominated to fill the various offices during the coming year:—President Mr I. T. Martin; vice-presidents, Messrs F. Wallis, jun.. and G. C. Hamilton: committee—Messrs J. B Nicol, M R Lawlor, A. T. Pettigrew, D. L. Poppelwell, and H. A. Price. As the number of candidates does not exceed the number of vacancies to be filled, all will be declared elected.”