AN UP-TO-DATE RACECOURSE.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XV, Issue 884, 14 February 1907, Page 7

AN UP-TO-DATE RACECOURSE.

In a very interesting article on the Kalgoorlie racecourse, “Terlinga” writes in the “Australasian”: Mr Cropper spends his annual holiday with a notebook in his hand. Flemington, Randwick, and Riccarton have all come under his notice since he took the secretaryship at Kalgoorlie, and no idea worth annexing has escaped him. The public have perhaps

been Mr Cropper’s chief consideration, but owners, bookmakers, jockeys, etc., have all been thought of. It seems so strange to hark back to what racecourses were, and see the mass of flowers of all sorts in the plant-house, which are produced and distributed about the various parts of the enclosure on race days. The well-known Currajong is prominent among the ornamental trees. It grows in the bush, and is brought in minus roots, and with the limbs lopped off almost to the trunk. They stick this tree into the ground, and it sprouts right away. Pepper trees, of course, do well in Kalgoorlie, and so do the Moreton Bay figs, which Mr Cropper has a good many of. The grandstand is a handsome two-decker, not as large as that of Perth, but very nice. There is a trough along the front of the top part, and on race days this is filled with flowers. This is a Paris idea. There is a Leger stand at Kalgoorlie, and a totalisator for each part. The totalisator building in the grandstand is roomy, and thoroughly up-to-date. They have an electric clock at Kalgoorlie. The starting barrier sets the clock going, and it also rings the closing bell in the totalisator offices. There are all sorts of conveniences, and everything seems handy. The jockeys, in addition to their own room, have a room near the scales, where they wait for their horses after being weighed. This idea savours of suspicion, perhaps, but, on the other hand, it must be a great convenience to the riders. Instead of being pestered by people asking questions as they walk through the paddock to mount their horse, the horse is brought to them in the weighing enclosure, and no one save the owner or trainer can communicate with the jockey. They have six sets of numbered saddlecloths —a clean cloth for each race. This plan should be adopted everywhere. The bookmakers have a room with lockers, in which they can deposit bags, tickets, etc. Mr Cropper smiled when mentioning his “field” telephone. That notion certainly does seem a little in advance of reasonable requirements, but, used with discretion, I suppose it does no harm. The main object is to enable the stewards to communicate with the starter. The training track is not much used, except at race times. Very few horses are trained on the fields. The track is sand, the artificial aid being crushed ore after it has been syanided. It is said to make a good track. The course is well turfed (couch) all the way round. I was shown all over the various rooms under the stands. They are certainly equal to anything I have seen anywhere.

The public have access to the Kalgoorlie course on 358 days of the year. It is theirs except on the seven days devoted to racing, and on race days the flat is free, just as at Flemington and Victoria Park. The racecourse is used for picnics, garden parties, etc., and it must be a great blessing to the residents of such a dry, greenless spot. I should have thought the picnickers would occasionally do damage to the shrubs, flowers, etc., but Mr. Cropper says “No; they seem to regard the place as their own, and they are too proud of it to indulge in any acts of vandalism.” Considering the use the townspeople make of the course, the committee have a right to complain of the liberality of the Government towards them in the matter of water. They have to pay 4s a thousand gallons. The club was the first to tap the main when it came to the course, and before the water reached the town reservoir. This was in March, 1903. Since then the K.R.C. has paid the Water Supply department nearly £3OOO, and last year they paid £1174 for 5,847,000 gallons.