ROYAL RACES Club Defends Action

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31005, 10 March 1966, Page 7

ROYAL RACES Club Defends Action

(N.Z. Press Association) AUCKLAND, Mar. 8. The president of the Waikato Racing Club, Mr F. C. Johnstone. said today it was unfortunate that the Mayor of Hamilton, Dr. D. Rogers, had made a statement to the press before discussing with him the club’s rejection of an invitation to hold a race meeting for the Queen Mother.

Dr. Rogers resigned as honorary surgeon to the club after it decided against holding a Royal meeting at Te Rapa on Monday, May 2.

He described the club’s action as equating loyalty to the throne with pounds, shillings and pence. Mr Johnstone said today that a possible loss on such a meeting was never considered by the committee to be a material factor. The fact that the Queen Mother could attend at Te Rapa for only about two hours placed in a more favourable position the Auckland Racing Club, which was also anxious to hold the Royal meeting. The Queen Mother’s itinerary made Tuesday, May 2, at Auckland a more suitable date, he said. The Waikato club had felt greatly honoured by the invitation to hold the meeting, said Mr Johnstone. It had made it clear to the Government that it would be very pleased to accept. It had been suggested by the Government that the club should forgo one of its Saturday race days later in the month, which would have created serious difficulties for th? club as well as for owners and trainers. “The club therefore asked that it be granted a special permit for this meeting, as has happened on some previous Royal visits,” said Mr Johnstone. “But it was refused in spite of the fact that there were two unallotted permits available at that time.

“It is unfortunate that the Mayor did not discuss the matter with me to ascertain

the full facts before making his press statement.” In Wellington, an Internal Affairs Department spokesman said the club had been declined an extra Saturday racing permit on the basis of departmental policy.

; It had been decided as a matter of policy not to issue 1 any extra permits to cover , Royal meetings. The decision r had been made after consulta- : tion with the racing and trotting conferences.