CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB.

Otago Witness, Issue 3403, 4 June 1919, Page 48

CANTERBURY JOCKEY CLUB.

ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the CanterburyJockey Olub was held on Thursday aiTernoon. Mr A. Boyle presided over an attendance of 15 members. The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the report and balance sheet, which have been published, said that since the previous annual' meeting the world had passed through * crisis, the magnitude of which history related no equal. The war clouds had passed away ? but the sunshine of peace had yet to pierce the mists of World-wide unrest. Racing had been carried on on the lines laid down by the Government,, but the curtailment ctf the number of days had be'en relinquished, and from now on each club would have its full allotment. The Canterbury Jockey Olub had had a successful year, as far as the actual racing was concerned, but had suffered severely through the fatal epidemic by the' loss not only of valuable officers, .s>ut also of local owners and members of the club. The late Mr C. W. Reid was one of the most active members of the committee, and_ also an owner. Mr Hartgill was recognised throughout New Zealand as a judge of unquestionable ability and absolute integrity. Messrs A. H. and H. S. Bourn, G. W. Clarkson, E. W. H. Gray, J. Knight, A. W. Rutherford, senior and junior, were all members who took a keen interest in the welfare of the club. Mr Patrick Campbell, one of the oldest members, passed away in England, but his memory Would be perpetuated by the handsome drinking fountain erected by his widow in the club's grounds. During the year the committee decided to invest in a now totalisator, and, after a great deal of consideration, joined with other clubs in purchasing the rights for New Zealand of the "Julius" totalisator. That machine had been brought to a state of excellence which seemed hard to improvo on. Owing, however, to the many great difficulties in obtaining material for the manufacture of the various parts, and the excessive cost, it was unlikely that it would be erected and in use before November.

A considerable amount of money had been spent in improving the drainage system, and oertain defects had been removed. It was intended to resume a portion of tho land that had been leased for the possible purpose of making' use of it for further training gallops, and also growing feed for tho club's working horses. Other improve-

monts of minor importance had also been undertaken.

It would, ho thought, bo interesting nob only to members, but also to th© publio in general, to have some details as to th© gat© receipts at Kiccarton during the past 15 years, In the Jubilee year, 1906, racing receipts from gate takings at the November meting were £5039, and in 1913, prior to the war, £5252, the average for the eight years "*"" being £4926. Christchurch suffered very grave disabilities from, want of accommodation for visitors. It was quite impossible to obtain accommodation for th© spring and National meetings, and hundreds of people were prevented from visiting the club's races for that reason. In 1906 the population of Christchurch was estimated at 76.700. It was now over 90,000, and it was, therefore, sal© to say th© best class of accommodation for visitors was less now than it waa in 1906. That not only affected the Canterbury . Jockey Club, but it was bad for the trade of the city. Taking a line through th© Hotel and Restaurant Workers' Union. Auckland had 4037, and Christchurch 800 members. Therefore Auckland, with about 24 per cent, more population, could accommodate six times more visitors. He thought that that was & matter that might well be taken up by the Canterbury Progress League. Th© Rule of Racing regarding bracketing horses needed amendment, and this, hs hoped, would be brought about at the next conference. Instead of putting difficulties in the way of breeders leasing horses, every encouragement should be given to induce new owners to take up the sport, and the leasing, principally of fillies, was the most convenient for many owners and th© breeders who liked to retain special lines of blood. As h© had stated earlier in his address, the actual racing during the past season had been successful, but there was a growing feeling amongst the racing community that everything was not as it should be. It was impossible for any one club to remedy the evils that undoubtedly existed, but when they became common talk it waa high time some drastic measures were taken. There was no shadow of doubt that the riding had deteriorated throughout the Dominion, and there appeared to be very few apprentices likely to become first-class horsemen. It was a matter of sincere regret that a few racing clubs continued to increase the number of races under a mile in their programmes. The conference should, without doubt, grave con- ' sideration to the advisability of limiting the number of five and- six-furlong flutter* in each day's racing. ' He need not remind members' that without the voluntary work of the committee the carrying on of the club would be impossible. That there was room for improve-. ment in many matters went without saying, but it must be remembered that the last four years had been very strenuous ones, and certainly not ones in which the club could have faced heavy Mr Wanklyn, the secretary, had, h© regretted to say, been in most indifferent health for some time. During his unavoidable absence Mr Oother had ably carried on the work, and great credit was due to him. Th© § rounds at Riccarton and th© gallops had een kept in excellent order by Mr M'Naß. the oaretaker, and although the season had been greatly against the necessary work, he had, by constant attention, done all that was possible. All the other members of the staff had loyally carried out their duties. Mr G. Gould seconded the motion for the adoption of the report' and balance sheet. He said that in th© circumstances the club had got through the year very satisfactorily. .- He was pleased to hear the chairman's reference to th© over-prevalence of sprintracing at country meetings. At a recent race meeting in the South Island,- out of; 18 Pat races only six were of \more iJian six furlongs. That suoh a state of things should be possible reflected no credit on the controlling authority. The olub had on several occasions sent a remit to the conference with the object of enforcing the . inclusion of two races of a mile or more , in each day's racing—surely a most modest proposal—and still the conference had turned it down. It was a lamentable fact that at one or two recent meetings in this district th© few distance races provided had been poorly filled. That was regarded, he believed, as evidence that even those few were too many; but ho took the \ievr that as long as a majority of the races were over short courses, so long would trainers prepare their horses for them- If th© conference faced the question boldly and obliged half the races to be of a mile or over, competition would be so severe in the reduced number of races that owners would find it more profitable to run in the longer races, and the result would be good all round. It-should not be forgotten that racing now nad a very vigorous competitor in the sister sport of trotting, which it would be idle to deny was at present mak- . inn- very rapid strides, and he feared would supplant racing in popularity if an effort was not made to raise the standards of sport outside the metropolitan meetings. Mr J. S. Barrett said that the committee might consider the question of taking off owners' shoulders the burden of providing The Chairman said that as"" far as acceptances and nominations were concerned this was the cheapest country for racing in th© world. . Mr W. H. Norton said that/ trotting had come to stay, and was likely to be a very keen competitor with racing. Mr J. Grigg said that men who were fond of trotting supported it better than men who were supposed to be fond of racing supported that branchy of sport. He urged the younger generation m Canter;. : bury to support racing, not only by attending meetings, but also by putting horses on the course. Ho would like to see more owners represented in sport, in Canter- „ bury. . • The motion was carried. —lllicit Betting.— Mr Barrett said that illicit betting was growing rapidly. There was hardly a factory or a workshop in sie country that did not have its bookmakers' agent. The racing people should put their house in order. At present nobody was serious in the matter. Even the Racing Conference was not serious. It was not a subject to joke on, as, if something was not done an effort would b© made to put the oluba out. Th© clause in the Crimes Act deahrg with the question should be amended by adding the word "bookmaker'' after the words "disorderly person." The clubs delegates to the conference should give the suggestions serious consideration. The Chairman said that ho had spokon that day to the chairman of the conference, who told him that betting this vear would bo strongly legislated for. Ho hoped that the view of the chairman of the conference would bo unheld. Illicit betting was the curse of racing at present.

—Election of Officers. —

The following officers were elected:— Stewards— Colonel R. H. Rhodes, Major L. k D. Acland, and Messrs A. Boyle, J. F. Buchanan, C. G. Dalgety, J. Grigg, H. A. Knight, B. L Lane, J. B. Reid, G. B. Starky, E. O. Studholme, and T. Teschemaker; committee —Major L. G. D. Acland, find Messrs R. Allen, A. Boyle, J. E. Buchanan, C. G. Dalgety, A. E Elworthy, G. Fulton, J. Grigg, H. A. Knight, B. L Lane, C. P. Murray-Aynsley, H. Quane, and G. L. Stead; honorary treasurer, Mr G. Gould.