THE RACE MEETING FOR FLEET WEEK.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVI, Issue 955, 25 June 1908, Page 5

THE RACE MEETING FOR FLEET WEEK.

Although at first there seemed some likelihood of the proposed race meeting at Ellerslie to be held during the visit of the United States Fleet, falling through, yet the difficulties in the way have been surmounted. It was contrary to the rules for any club to hold more than four meeting a year, but this has been got over by Auckland’s three race club’s combining. It has been, of course, impossible to obtain the permission of the Racing Conference to hold the fixture, as that body does not meet until July 23. It is, however, on the advice of the President of the Conference that the arrangements for the meeting have been gone on with, and the official sanction will doubtless follow later on. The presidents of the three Auckland clubs have met and decided that the meeting shall take place on Wednesday, August 12, and a good programme has been drawn up. As, unfortunately, the fleet of battleships will arrive here early in August, it will be almost an impossibility to hold a really first-class meeting. To begin with our best steeplechase horses will have gone South to run at the National Meeting at Riccarton. Then, again, many horses will have been thrown out of training, and it is too much to expect the owners to have them wound up for a one day meeting. Nevertheless, if only the weather be fine, a good afternoon’s sport should be shown, and it will give our guests an opportunity of comparing our methods of holding race meetings with those obtaining in the Republic. With such a strong executive as the three clubs can get together, we have no reason to fear the result of such comparison.