SETBACK TO TROTTING

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1935, Page 4

SETBACK TO TROTTING

MEETING ABANDONED NORTH TARANAKI POSITION. DISAPPOINTMENT OF FOLLOWERS. Followers, of the sport of trotting in Taranaki are experiencing a keen feeling of disappointment at the decision of the Taranaki Trotting Club to abandon its meeting this year. The club set off with bright prospects eight or nine years ago and before the depression came upon the country appeared well on the road to success. Like many , other sporting 1-dies; it suffered a setback and its last two meetings resulted in losses. Most-clubs when faced with this problem- framed a conservative policy and carried .op -in. face of many difficulties. The Taranaki Trotting. Club, however, abandoned its meetings. At the annual general meeting of the club last year members were of the opinion that a meeting should be held this year in the West Coast, circuit. . The. other clubs concerned, Manawatu, Wanganui and Fswera, all went ahead. The first two have held their meetings and have exp<- "d success. The prospects for Hawerai next week look excellent. The horses on the circuit would certainly have gone on to New Plymouth. The decision of the club is meeting severe criticism, especially from other clubs on the circuit and the owners of horses. It is said there is a danger of the club losing its permit and that the light harness sport in North Taranaki is doomed to die an untimely death. The belief is that the club would have had every prospect of conducting a successful meeting, . even though the profits might , not have been large. Many believe that even to save the permit the club should have been prepared to risk even a part of its credit balance. The . light harness sport has made great strides throughout the country; it was making good progress in North Taranaki, but it has received a serious setback and is in danger of becoming a thing of the past. "

MELBOURNE CUP STAKE. REDUCTION OF £2090 MADE. Melbourne, April 9. The stake for this'year’s Melbourne Cup will be £BOOO, £2OOO lower than the 1934 Melbourne Centenary Cup race. The Maribyrnong Plate and the Ascot Vale Stakes have-each been reduced by £5OO.