THE FORBURY RACECOURSE

Otago Witness, Issue 2467, 26 June 1901, Page 51

THE FORBURY RACECOURSE

Dear Forbury, loveliest racecourse of the twain. Shall e'er the sport- of kings be seen on thee again 9 How often have I loitered o'ei th> green. When lucky punting had erdeared each scene ; How often have I stood with bated breath And seen my fancy "get up" (or not) just at the death. The macrocarpa. la edge -with seats bereatli tlie shade For "talking horse" and whispering tipsters made , How often have I blessed the racing day "When toil remitting, lent its turn to play. And all Dunedin sports, free from labour's

sting, Planked down their lira=s ard make the tote

bells ring. Proximity tc town, and other claims like

these, The greatest grumblers was always sure to please. Clubs and tracks may ffourish or may fade. The money can make them as the money has

made. But the Forbury racecourse, Dunedin's price, If once destroyed, can never be supplied.

I tender unlimited apologies to the shade of Goldsmith for the above, and double that number to the readers of the sporting columns of the Witness. In view of the repulses of past endeavours to reopen Forbury Park for racing, an impression has (and not without rea&on) been established that the existence of the park as a racecourse was ended. A number of gentlemen who are alive to the influence racing at the Forbury has- on various businesses in Dunedin (irrespective of anything from a sporting point of view), have been working to bring the popular ra&course once more into prominence as a convincing ground. These gentlemen have received, ao the result of canvassing, promises of a thorongbJy satisfactory nature a< to the probable membership of thp proposed club. One of the promoters, however, has informed the writer that there is ona grrat ohs-taole to be surmounted in the matter. - The moving spirits of the proposed club have not been able up to the present to secure a right of purchase within three years, and the insertion of this clause in the leading of the giound is considered absolutely nrcesbary by the promoters. Without this right it ii- "not considered advisable to start a second club in Dunedin The matter will be considered by the Forbury Park Land Company in the near future, and should this concession be granted it i* believed the establishment of a club to carry on racing at the Forbuiy would soon be brought to a successful issue. The promoters are confident that the proposed club would be sufficiently strong in every respect.