OLD ORDER HAS CHANGED

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 62, 14 March 1934, Page 6

OLD ORDER HAS CHANGED

It is feared that a danger exists of the time-honoured Cromwell Meeting's lagging superfluous on the Turf stage unless more interest can Vie infused into it than what exists at present, writes "Sentinel." The circumstances! that called it into existence have vanished, and, although they may be resurrected, in the meantime it is necessary'to find some attractive means of justifying its having a place on the Racing Calendar: The passing of years and an almost complete change of conditions have deleted more than one old-time fixture from the calendar, and others are in feeble existence merely because they cannot support themselves. The competition supplied by an overcrowded Racing Calendar makes it inevitable that the weakest must go to the wall. Commercialism is now a dominant factor in racing, and small stakes and the consequently weak fields and betting markets must lack appeal to the average ojvner. Hence- it becomes, necessary! to supply sufficient temptation to owners in order to .keep a meeting" in a healthy existence.- Cold, common sense suggests that some meetings, should be allowed •to \ die, but sporting sentiment is not killed by adversity, and the historic atmosphere surrounding (such fixtures as the Cromwellsuggests that an effort should be made to retain meetings such as these. ' ' '- '