The Dunstan Times.

Dunstan Times, Issue 620, 6 March 1874, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

Beneath the Rule of Man bxti rklt just thepkn is MionrißE than theswonu.

FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 1874.

Our remarks made some short time since respecting the falling off of attenclance'at up-country Race Meetings appear to be generally borne out. At Tuapeka,*the paucity of attendance at the late races was very noticeable, notwithstanding that the prizes run'for were quite up to former years, bdth the fields' of horses, ami the number of persons on the course were considerably less than usual. We do not infer from this that people ,have had a surfeit fof horse-racing, or they are becoming tired of our great •national sport, or desire some other species'of exciting amusement; the fault is that, they no longer care for so manydittle events, and are becoming less interested every year. There is as much money as ever for the support of horse racing, and even more avidity on the part of the population to enter into it, but to know that Mr. So and So’s horse, whom they see almost daily before their eyes will carry off the chief stakes, takes away all the interest, while the present system of handicapping strangers’ horses so heavily, leaves the question of the probable winner almost a certainty. It would be much better for the va rious mining districts to combine, and hold one first class meeting in some centrally situated and favorable locality, than persisting in -so many minor local events on a sca’e too expensive for mere sport, while not of sufficient importance to make them interesting enough to bring

strangers from a distance. That each centre of population should'havc some Sports of their own we quite agree, and we think this could best be managed by holding an admixture of horseracing with athletic games on some popular and recognised holiday, reserving the main feature of the Race Meeting, by supporting one general “ Meet ” that should be worth the a ttendsnce of persons from a distance, and ensuring a large field of'horses to contest for the various prizes. Some arrangement like this is worthy the attention of the various Jockey Clubs, ttnd we feel assured that it is only necessary for the gold fields to combine to produce a raremeeting worth the trouble of going a long distance to le present at. It is not the mere spectacle of seeing a great horse race that makes it interesting, that is a mere momentary excitement, the real pleasure should be the course itself, the people, and the various amusements to be met there, let alone the journeying to and from. The beltings and drawings in the several contests afford means for excitement long before and after the events have taken place, while at the same time there remains the indisputable fact that, “ tojniabo people thoroughly interested in anything, it must be of more than an ordinary every day occurrence,” and this holds good with horse racing, as with every thing else.