TROTS OR GALLOPS, WHICH WILL DUKE SEE?

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18062, 24 January 1927, Page 11

TROTS OR GALLOPS, WHICH WILL DUKE SEE?

A totalisator permit for the New Brighton Trotting Club’s race meeting at Addington on Alarch 12 and 13 has been granted by the Alinister of Internal Affairs, the Hon R. F. Bollard. This means definitely that a trotting fixture will" be held in Christchurch during the coming visit of the Duke and Duchess of York. The Canterbury Jockey Club proposes to hold a race meeting for the entertainment of the Royal visitors and judging by present indications Christchurch may even have the prospect of gallops and trots being held on the same day. There has been much negotiation over the question of including a race meeting in the entertainment programme. Some time ago a proposal that the CJ.C. should hold a .special meeting for the entertainment of the Duke and Duchess was approved by the Royal Reception Committee on the condition that there would be two trotting races included in the programme. An agreement. was reached in regard t.o this but the Minister of Internal Affairs refused to allow the special meeting to be held. At this stage the New Brighton Trotting Club, by agreement with the. Timaru Trotting Club, altered the date of their meeting so that it. could be held during the visit of their Royal Highnesses. The alteration of dates in this case received the sanction of the Alinister of Internal Affairs. Tt was then reported that the Duke and Duchess of York would be entertained at Addington, where it. was proposed to hold the New Brighton Club s meeting. However this did not coincide with the plans of the Reception Committee and the trotting meeting is not included in the official programme. In the meantime the Canterbury Jockey Club made further negotiations with the Reception Committee. A prominent trotting man stated that on t.he publication of the altered date of the New Brighton Trotting (.Hub’s meeting, the president of the Canterbury Jockey Club marie a proposal to the Royal Reception Committee. The offer was to the effect that the Canterbury Jockey Club’s February meeting be postponed until March, the date coinciding with the visit of the. Duke and Duchess of York to Christchurch. This, offer, he said, had been accepted, the New Brighton Trotting Club's offer being thrown out. When it became known that a meeting was to be held at Riccartou the Wellington Racing Club raise dan objection on the ground that the date was too close to its autumn meeting. This objection was withdrawn on Saturday. conditional on the CJ.C. not •u<’rea;-.inw its &aJsgjj and un its pro-