SOUTHLAND RACING CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 2685, 30 August 1905, Page 52

SOUTHLAND RACING CLUB.

The annual report, which will I>e considered on Friday next, states:"^? The committee has pleasure in again reporting a highly successful year. The- total receipts amounted to £2400, .is against £2017 last ye-ar, thero being an increase in all the main sources of income — nomination fees, ga*p. money, totalisator returns, privileges, and bookmakers' fees. Race Meetings. — The usual two meetings ■were held during the season. The summer meeting showed a piofit of £630, and the avitumn one, accompanied by proverbial bad weather, fortunately came out on the right side, with a profit- of £68. Hurdle races were eliminated from the programmes of both meetings, and hack races substituted — a change which the result has simply justified. The fields throughout were good, and the racing interesting. The class of horses engaged was, on the whole, better than in previous years, especially in hack events. The totalisaitor returns for the meetings ■were: — Summer £5931, and autumn £2536 10s —a total of £8307 10s, as against £7258 las* year. Bookmakers were licensed at both meetings, their fees amounting to £262 £13 — equivalent, as far as the finances of the club aro concerned, to an investment on the totalisator of over JE4OOO. Spring Meeting. — For nest season the committee* has decided upon an innovation in holding a spring instead of an autumn meeting, it being generally considered that the avitumn meeting was too late in the season for Southland, and invariably accompanied by rough and stormy weather; hence was applied for and granted the date of November 1 and 2, when it is hoped that the elements will be more propitious. Improvements. — Dxiring the year considerable improvements have been effected on the course : (1) The racing track was heavily topdressed, and seed and manure added in any bare places, with the result that the track was in excellent order for both meetings. (2) The saddling paddock hae been greatly enlarged and 21 new boxes added 1 , making it now one 0? the best 'equipped in the. colony. (5) A training track has been laid down one chain wide, inside the present track, and when ready will no doubt be found a great convenience to horse-owners, besides allowing the racing track to be kept in better order. Financial. — The balance sheet shows: Receipts from all sources, £2399; expenditure, £2482 — mad© up mainly of stakes, £1180; improvements, £384; course maintenance and

plant, £220 ; and redemption of debenture?, £118. We are pleased to state that when certain payments now authorised have been made, the debenture liability, which two yeara ago stood at £719, will be practically wiped out. The year closes with a credit balance cf £123. as against £207 last year, the difference being accounted for by the large suma spent in permanent improvements. We have a balance of assets over liabilities amounting to the substantial sum of £2022.