Sporting Review. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1894.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume V, Issue 212, 16 August 1894, Page 4

Sporting Review. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1894.

The newly-elected committee of the Auckland RacingJClubmet on Tuesday last and arranged the dates of their fixtures for the coming season. The first Spring Meeting will be held on September 15th ; the second Spring will have two days, viz., November 9th and 10th; the Summer Gathering will be on December 26th and January Ist and 2nd ; Autumn on April 15th and 16th ; and the Winter days will be June 9th and 1 ith. The appointment of a starter resulted in Mr George Cutts obtaining the position, and the handicapping was left in Mr J. O Evetts’ hands. In view of the uncertainty hanging over the future of New Zealand racing and the determined opposition that is being manifested against the machine, the committee determined to pursue a policy of retrenchment in allotting the stake money for the various meetings. Only the first Spring pro gramme was drawn up, but when the other meetings are under consideration the policy indicated by the Spring reductions will be followed. The retrenchment in the first programme is as follows : — Handicap Hurdles reduced £5 Spring Handicap reduced £lO (the cut, ting down in. this event will only effect the second horse). September Stakes and Pony Race j£io. Nominations for the first Spring Meeting close on August 3 ist -

A leading article appeared in the Review a week or two ago commenting upon the fact that at the conference of Racing Delegates held in Wellington Mr Lawry, who represented the A.R.C., failed to vote against the motion re the establishment of a New Zealand Jockey Club. The Otago delegate voted against the motion, but, as we all know, Auckland is just as much opposed to the proposed N.Z.J.C. as Otago is. We therefore expressed surprise that the local delegate had not voted against the motion. Mr Lawry answered the Review’s comment by informing its Wellington representative that he had never been favoured with any instructions from the A.R.C. as to how he should vote. That shifted the blame from Mr Lawry to the A.R.C. But as the secretary of the A.R.C. points out, we in Auckland were led to believe that the Gaming Bill would be the only matter discussed at the conference which was specially convened for that purpose. Therefore it is argued the blame regts not with the A.R.C. but with those who convened the conference. Not knowing that the delegates would be called upon to consider the question of a New Zealand Jockey Club, there was no necessity for the A.R.C. to instruct their representative as to how he should best serve the interests of his club in such a matter. Therefore, the blame, argues the A.R.C., rests with the conveners of the conference.