“TOO HIGH A PRICE.”

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16952, 6 February 1926, Page 9

“TOO HIGH A PRICE.”

DEATHS THROUGH It At I NC. i TA KAPLUN A COURSE ACCI DENTS. CONCERN IN AUCKLAND. (Special 'o the Herald.; AUCKLAND, this day. Taking the recent riuidents- on the Takapuna course as his text, Mr. J. Jordan, M.P. for Manukau, despatched the fbliowing telegram to the Minister of Internal Affairs, the lion. R. F. Bolj lard : Great, concern is felt in Auckland regarding accidents on Takapuna, racecourse. Seven accidents occurred at the race meeting about a fortnight, ago, and six accidents m one race last Saturday. Three jockeys were taken to hospital and one death reunited. Accidents iweuned in other races on Saturday, ami one rider was taken to hospital. Arising out of the accident.-, last Friday, two jockeys weio taken to hospital and one horse was killed. There are accidents at every meeting. The jockeys, complained of. the fences after Friday's accidents, but no improvement was made. They are-afraid to protest, as victimisation is feared. I. voice the opinion of the great, majority of people in deniandinj a full public inquiry into the whole racing business, and in the ,interests of the riders’ lives call upon you, as Minister in charge,' to forbid the further use of the Takapuna, and other dangerous couisca until satisfactory improvement!! are made.” “TERRIBLE TOLL.” Speaking at the funeral of the jockey Edward Preston yesterday, the Key. Jasper Cakler said: ”1 am filled with alai'm at- the number of deaths which are the. direct result of racing. Crosscountry riding is a man’s game, wliu.li only a man can play. Little do they know, those vast racecourse crowds of onlookers, what jockeys have to go through. The constant fear of accidents must in itself be a tremendous strain upon tin, riders’ nerves. I admire their gameness. but 1 am certain we are paying too high a price for the pleasure. Of course, it is not worth it. Human life is too precious in the sight ol God and man. One can only hope that every possible care will be taken in the future to .stop this terrible toll mi human life.” NO MORE HURDLE RACES. A„ the result, of the District Racing Committee's findings, there- is to be no more hurdle racing on the Takapuna uutievour.se, and light-weight handicaps will take .their place on future programmes. ALTERATIONS TO COURSE. The position :s now that the club has' in make icilaiii alterations to its •course, and these iiavt to he completed before its next, race meeting. The aeef; dints have occurred mostly on that stretch of the course rounding Iron) the back ink) the straight, winch is Commonly called “crossing the top, the port km that runs parallel with Lake road. The turn from the hack at present has u radius ol chains, and this has to tic made a radius of eight chains. The curve into llw straight will also bo similarly improved from 7£ chunks radius .to ,eight chains radius, and both (these points will bo joined together with a Halter curve, having a radius _ of 22chains. Going out- ot the straight, it is intended to case the bend slightly and make a'better turn. This; work will be commenced near the winning post and carried right round past- the seven fur-

longs post. This will give a straight run out from the seven furiuti'g.s post, tor the best part of a furlong. The bend going out of the straight is to be hanked j in 25 and other bends 1 in 40. | The alterations will probably mean increasing tile distance of races that previously have been one mile two furlongs and u half to one mile and three l'urlorijs. so a-, to permit of a straight r.mi cut from the barrier. In order to do ill's, there will have to be a small piece of (rack made in-the corner of the. ground along Like road, .just beyond where the course proper curves front the lack to come across the top. similar io the mile and live furluiigrs starts at Ellers lie.