RACING

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2386, 31 January 1922, Page 3

RACING

FOXTON CLUB’S FIGURES. . £3,201 11/- IN TAXES. Foxton, the ace of the smaller racing l clubs, emerges once again from its pojpular picnic meeting with returns that are more than satisfactory. A Manawatu Times representative has been informed that the Club made a profit of £BIB, and got within £23 of a £40,000 turnover. The revenue derived from the gates totalled £BOO, but had the committee not made the drastic cut they did in complimentary tickets, anything approaching this splendid sum would not have been obtained. Members’ subscriptions amounted to £l5O. Had the £BOO gate money been given in complimentary tickets, -and the sum mentioned gone on the totalisator instead, the Club’s revenue would have been £52. The committee, the other night, passed for payment to the Government a cheque for £3,201 11s, the amount of taxes imposed. The totalisator handled £28,000 less this year than last, but the committee took the precaution some time ago to deduct £I,OOO from the stakes, and thug the decrease in investment revenue was counteracted to a very great extent. The Club also had a good Avin over the totalisator fractions. A five-pence-farthing fraction was obtained from each dividend paid out on Ngata in one particular race, the Club benefiting to the extent of £27 17s 6d on this horse alone. Many sportsmen hold the opinion that Foxton is doing the wrong thing racing immediately after Wellington, but the Club thinks otherwise, and the returns support them. Foxton. it is interesting to note, has a population of only 1771, so it will be seen that the surrounding districts evidently accord the picnic meeting great support. On Anniversary Day the special non-stop express from Palmerston North had a tota # l of 17 carriages packed Avjtli racepicnickers, the mixed train had 13 carriages, and the Sandon tram eight. The train. arrangements were perfect. The Club is to be congratulated upon its success.

PAHIATUA MEETING. V

The Pahiatua Racing Club’s annual meeting \A T as Held on Saturday. The Aveather Avas oA'ereast. The attendance Avas not so large as previously. For the day the sum of £15,408 Avas .put through the totalisator, against, £25,195 last year, a decrease of £9,787. The iinrnstments on each race aA’eraged £1,926. The majority of the events Avere keenly contested, the finish betAveen Doueement and Passionless in the Makuri Hack Handicap being thrilling to a degree. Esperance won the Pahiatua Handicap after a strenuous finish with Festivity, the Avin being popularly received. The old stager Waimatao put up a remarkable performance in Avinning the President’s Handicap, after having raced in a none too promising position for the greater part of the journey. The steAvards held an inquiry into Godfrey’s handling of Edendale in the Hack Flying. Before the inquiry Avas concluded, Edendale, with a fresh rider up, Avon the Konini Hack Handicap, The committee then inquired into the reversal of form shown by Edendale, and after hearing evidence from the parties concerned, Avhicli Avent to show that the horse Avas backed by the OAvner, resolved as follows: (1) Although the circumstances are suspicious, the committee accepts the OAAmer’s explanation; (2) with regard to the rider, Godfrey, the committee has evidence that he met Avitli interference shortly after the start. No withstanding this, the committee is very dissatisfied with his handling of the horse, and has decided to warn him that a similar exhibition of horsemanship in the future would probably cost him his license.