WELLINGTON TROT TING CLUB

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 11, 7 August 1930, Page 6

WELLINGTON TROT TING CLUB

PAST YEAR'S ACTIVITIES

The following is the report .of the Wellington. -Trotting Club to be submit-

ted at the annual meeting which will be held on. August 20: —

Finance: The net profit .for the year shows another marked improvement over previous years. The Club with the exception of the February - meeting was' more fortunate with the weather conditions at its .several*-fixtures and the various sources'-'of revenue sliow a corresponding improvement. A particularly pleasing feature is that" although an overdraft was arranged for; £5000 the Club lias been able to close itjs. year with an. overdraft of £2702/15/5 only.

Racing: The high standard set in previous seasons was more ■•than- maintained, anoi special mention must be.made of the successful result attending the fixing of a 4.27 limit for the Gold Cup.

Stakes: Faced with the large expenditure involved in the alteration of the tracks and the erection of. additional grandstand accommodation, the Stewards were compelled to exercise a, wise discretion in allocating Stakes money. Nevertheless an amount was given far in excess of that required by the Rules. For the. coming season the Stewards intended to recommend to the incoming Board a substantial, increase in stakes, but the action of the Dates Committee, in requiring. tlie Club to, holdi one twoday meeting lias so gravely altered the prospects of the Club for the coming season that the Stewards are now compelled to advise a course of the strictest economy in every direction. • '

Improvements: The extra grandstand accommodation was much appreciated during .the. seasoou-and with the new or> namental fencing lenrs to the Park an v appearance in keeping with-.the importance of our .fixtures. A grandstand for the outside public is now under course of construction which will serve as an indication of the Club's desire to faioi- for the comfort of the patrons of the cheaper enclosure. A new range of ]o::r° boxes together with a sand-roll-houso have alpo been erected and no doubt will be ' °ppreeiated "by. trainers.

Tracks : The formatibn of the new tracks has: been a cause of tremendous

wprry and anxiety to the Stewards. IJnfortunatelj', for causes entirely outside the Trotting/Club's job, the contractors had to go into liquidation, and although the Club did ali in its power to assist the. Company it was . found necessary early in August to take. pver. the work and complete it oufsielves,. This step was only made 1 possible by- the. generous action of Mr J. E. August, who gave the whole of his time, in an honorary capacity, for some ten weeks to conducting the work; Throughout that period, morning, noxjn.; and night ,he was to be found on the job; npt merely supervising, but lending; ,^n active: hand whenever required. The thanks of the Club are due in full measure to Mr August, whose sacrifice of his own business interests and personal inelinatipns' stand' as an' object lesson to honorary officials of the spqtrt throughout New Zealand. '.■'•■ " ;

Owing to causes already indicated the tracks have cost considerably- more than the original contract priced but their completion in the form that they now intake is a matter for congratulation. The race track was sown in grass immediately the concluding meeting of the season wis over, and with the approach of spring growth gives promise of developing a splendid swa,rd. The perfect "shape of the track and scientific grading of the bends leave nothing to be desired. ' The training track which in its clay: surface was inclined to become too hard, has been .converted int;p r a finder track. . This' means that a permanent all weather will be available for trainers and its benefits' hve. already, been demonstrated by ,the number of wins recorded by horsxes that have journeyed from this centre to recent meetings.

An additional dirt jogging track is now being,.formed inside the cinder track, .so. trainers will lack no facility for getting their charges fit in this centre.

Taxation: It lias to be recorded, jonee more that the provision of additional comforts and facilities for patrons of $hespqrt and increased stakes for owners ■,3|b sadly hampered by^the excessiye burden, .of, taxation; imposed on the sport

of Trotting audi Racing. For the season just concluded Government Taxes on the ■Jluli's' uperations amounted to £9370 .18/7,. This is far in. excess of the stakes available and-represents over three times the actual profit made by the Club in. its year's oijeratious. There is no other institution so heavily taxed as Trotting and Racing, and, while the sporting community has proved itself at all times ready to give voluntary assistance to needy causes, both national and otherwise there is a limit beyond which- no one section shoulcL be exploited by tax-

ation. ISTo doubt under the ciicumstances at present existing in the country the new addition of 2* per cent, .to the Totalisator Tax will, have to be accepted .Vti a philosophic-spirit; but sin organised, .effort-.should be,made by sporting auth-

ovities to see that this added burden does not become permanent, anoi that, with others, it is removed at the earliest possible moment.

Handicapping: The handicapping sysr tern has now. had a full season's trial, and all connected, with trotting, -whose jpinions are formed as a result of their

sonal participation in the active side if the sport are satisfied that a tremendous improvement ,hasi.j3fti3a afE-ected;-Tiie

uciii ijas given confidence to owners,, trainers, and the public alike. Races are aov/ being truly run from endi to end. Even in themaiden or trial classes the mblic are being treated to true and spirited contests. Thp connections -of horses are not afraid to win small stakes

:o be beaten into places in fast times. These conditions of general confidence are'reflected in the remarkable maintenance of the standard of public investments on the totalisator at Trotting meetings during the season where serious decreases have been experienced by other institutions. That still .further improvecan be effected! by amendment of the schedules of classes and penalties as applied to various distances need not be denied. The f-ystem is as nearly fobiproof as could be devised short of djs pensing with handicapping altogether and adopting the idea of fixed penalties. It is questionable whether as yet the human element has sufficiently offended to justify this .drastic step. As the system in its original form has received endorsement for another twelve months it will r.est with the handicappers themselves whether the human element is to bo retained. One thing appears to be certain: that the princple established under the system has come to stay. *

Obituary: is with great regret that in. this, report there-has to ,be recorded' the deaths of aj* numb,er. of our valued members. The late Messrs T. Madden W. A. Mpwbray and F. McParland, occupied ,the .offices of Vice Presidents for many years, and their services, to sport in general, and to the Wellington Trotting Giub in particular, have been of incalculable value. - We have also to record) the sad depletion of our ranks of membership by the loss of Messrs W. B. Keys and J. McIlraith. (general: The various itejaos .of the Club's operations capably and ,successful handled throughout the season. Not the least of these ; is the catering department, the efficiency of which ser- ; vie©.being.mainly due.to, the painstaking

and competent supervision of Mr Jaatss McDonald. 'The thanks of tti« iiltVWmiß and members are also due te tht t/mit for their close attention.. $o tfc» itscharge of their several, duties.R. A. ABMSTBOIWL PwaM^nt.