i . A COMPARISON".

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 54

i . A COMPARISON".

Mr H. L. James, secretary of the Dun<cdin Jockey Club, states that the recent meeting, bald in unfavourable Vv«*h?r, at •Wingatui, wa» the best summer fixiuro «ver bald on the course. In fact, the receipts are much better than those which "were received for several years prior to the abandonment of Forbury Park. Many people .still adhere to the opinion that the Ihincdin Jockey Club should return to the Forbury Park, but such an idea cannot be , fcald \vo<-£hy of eerioue consideration. The great lactor in Forbury 's favour is the proximity of the course to town, and no doubt that would' probably assist in building up the attendances. Apart from that, however, there are now many drawbacks to the Forbury which did not exist -when the track wsfcs in full swing as a racecourse. In the first place, St. Kilda is becoming a more and more populous district, and the more it grows the more 'will 'the park foe■come unsuitable as a racecourse. It would' be too cramped for training 1 purposes, as •fcwo-year-olds and young horses would come in contact with too -much traffib on the roads, and, furthermore, racing ie progressing in Dunodin, but there is little or mo room for improvement at the park. Tbe fields which are common at Wingatui ■would not find sufficient room at the Forbury, and the growing attendances which..are mustering at the new course would congest and overflow ttra old one unless a -mint ol money were epent on the latter. •The main objection to_ Wingatui is the journey from town, but in a couple of yeare ■the double line- will .considerably curtail l>oth the time and distance, and in doing bo pr-esumably enhance its popularity. Even as it is,. Wingatui is as easy of access as Riccarton, and much easier than Trentham. Then again the olub has spent a lot of Sreoney in improvements, and hopes within tlie next two or three years to make so much -further progres3 with the accommodation that it will be placed beyond criticism in that direction. In- its day ths •Forbury was -an ideal course, but, like many other things, it has lived and had its ■day. The- two tracks are incomparable as racecourses if ambitks-n is kept alive in the D.J.C., becaiiise there is unlimited scops for improvement on the one, but not on' the other. Years ago our club crossed th? Kubicon wlien it pitched its tents at Wdngatui, and after winning an uphill battle it would be extremely bad general«nip for it to turr back. In fact, althoujrb a good deal of sentiment and sympathy is still attached to the Forbury, sentinment and sympathy wouldn't buy a- dinner Sar a humming bird, .and the club has far more reason to remain at Wingatiu than it had to return to Forbury, -even^ it it fofc the latter place for a bagatelle.