DOING BEST

NZ Truth, Issue 1211, 14 February 1929, Page 11

DOING BEST

Club Endeavors To Help Owners (From "N.Z. Truth's" Auckland Rep.) Owners and trainers have often been heard to express the opinion that the Auckland Club has expended too much money on flower beds instead of .devoting" the lot to stakes. T^HAT, however, is probably too narrow a view to take of the mattei*. Certain it is that .Ellerslie racecourse is one of the beauty spots of the city, but so far as stakes are concerned, the club can certainly lay claim to having played its part well. When things were flourishing, increases were made, and now that a falling-off m totalisator revenue has been registered, the desire is still that the owner shall not suffer. It has been a case of shortening hands round about Ellerslie so that stake money can be kept up to a reasonable pitch, and it is certain that the club will still aim at being the top-dog m New Zealand m the matter of stakes. • Though there has been a paying off of "hands up north, Ellerslie racecourse .surroundings will not be allowed to go back, and there still is a large staff engaged — easily the largest employed by any racing club m the land. Stakes must be kept up to standard if possible, and .with that object m view, no one can blame the northern racing heads for safeguarding their finances. '