Editorial, THE TARANAKI CLASSIC

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1931, Page 10

Editorial, THE TARANAKI CLASSIC

The nominations taken last Friday for the Taranaki Jockey Club’s autumn meeting must have filled the officials, and indeed every enthusiast in the province, with the utmost satisfaction. The difficulties of the times are being felt as keenly by the racing clubs as they are elsewhere, and the fact that those who control the sport are willing to offer attractive programmes and high stakes testifies to their courage, and also to their wisdbm. If the totalisator figures for the past few months were regarded as the only important consideration most of the clubs would be cutting their programmes ruthlessly, and thus actually inviting the slump, to hit them harder than it has yet done. x Fortunately for the good of racing-they are more apt to look on the brighter side and maintain their efforts to promote sport of a high class.

That the clubs are pursuing a wise policy is readily demonstrable. Unpretentious meetings, catering for poor quality horses and affording racing of a kind that would not promote enthusiasm, would soon forfeit their claim to popular support, and. the clubs in the long run would find themselves no better off; indeed, they would have to work up again from a long way behind scratch. It may be that their finances in many cases will b& severely strained while the depression lasts and the large body of the supports racing has less than the normal amount of cash, but if by careful administration they can contrive to bear the. strain the recovery when the clouds lift will be all the more rapid, for the public will not forget the service of racing to the community. Just now there are plenty of people who are quite willing to be very miserable because times are bad. A really bright yace meeting is probably the best antidote the community could employ to counteract the poison spread by the croakers.

' And the Taranaki Jockey Club, if the number and quality of its nominations mean anything, is going to have an exceptionally bright meeting next month. In the lists of entries for the Taranaki Cup and other principal handicaps one finds the names of some of the best horses in the Dominion, and the nomination for the classic event, the Seventeenth Taranaki Stakes, is particularly conspicuous. There are no fewer than fifteen entrants, and among them half-a-dozen or more that every true sportsman in the country would go a day’te journey, or several days’ journey, to see in action together. ' Any club would consider itself exceedingly well favoured with an opportunity to stage a six furlongs’ contest in which such noteworthy spr in tens as Lady Quex, Hunting Cry and Ammon Ra would take part Those three alone would make a race worthy to be bracketed in the annals of the Turf with such historic events as the unforgettable defeat of Gloaming by Desert Gold on the New Plymouth racecourse, but there are many more entrants this year to help to maintain the already fine traditions of the Taranaki Stakes.

Not only in Taranaki but racing folk throughout the Dominion ovpjb a debt of gratitude to the Taranaki Jockey Club for its courageous retention of this classic upon its programme. There have been years, though happily not very many of them, when the race has been less successful than could have been wished and has placed an undue burden on the club’s resources, but adverse circumstances have not been permitted to weaken its enthusiasm for the highest ideals in racing. This year there is every reason to hope that the club will be amply rewarded for its tenacity of purpose. If there rs. any means by which the club can fairly expect to attract public patronage under prevailing conditions it is the provision of racing of the highest class obtainable in New Zealand. At the present moment the. indications are that both’ at Hawera and at New Plymouth next month there will be very enjoyable racings It is, of course, some years since the Egmont Racing Club eliminated classics from its programmes, and perhaps it has had no great cause to regret its action. But if the Taranaki Jockey Club can attain the success which appears within reach this season it .may be 1 worth while for the neighbouring body to reconsider the question. Conditions' in the racing have changed somewhat in ihe last seven or eight years, and it is quite likely. that .the clubs bould depend upon satisfactory fields for a “circuit’-’of two weightfossegs saeea run in Taranaki during February.