A NEW TRACK

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 62

A NEW TRACK

I The launching out of the Tahuna, Park ■ .Trotting ' Club imthe direction ,of -acquirinjr^ 'a private track :has jnet with c general,' ap- ' - provaL .and . -debentures -are- -being freely -taken up an order that, the 'course %e made -fit -'for racing' with a minimum ■of delay. 'It _is -hf be Jhoped that die club, -will lay out as big a '.track ac possible — one .at least , .of- five furlongs — in, order ~to ,do- a-way with the .necessity ~ of. .having .the starte on a - bend, .as is the case at' present at TEabuna Taik. Races at. Tahuna Park ire.quently robbed of -ja, great deal of their interest .by the i'faot that the horses after -~ -leaving the- -mark ere on -to ja. turn almost at once, and this tends -to unsettle them in their gait, if mot ~break them up .alto- "■ gether. Uisitors to Tahuna Park- will - .allow that -the majority of breaks occur .at .the .south bend, >or just-as the horses apjpear 'to have .safely .negotiated this portion of the traok. If the rifield» were started. .a* -some part of dfte track where the horses " could ,gefc a. straight ; go -format least ,a fur- . ■long or <o it wbiiKf ?make <* decided improvement in ihe xaoing. This is^a selfevident iact, ,and. t iher«, is <no particular ,reason why. ,a~;four-f urlonft track .should be 'built when "there .is ample room .for a. larger one. In fact, there are many -good ■ -.reasons -why -the -four-furlong oourse should ;be -abandoned. It appears to be essential rfor the success oi trotting that the track "- should not be larger than cix ifurlongs- >inxsircumference, .because "to>-"ma-mtain the .public .interest it is not .advisable- that Hie Ihoases should .he racinjf too .far-away from theatand. -The situation of- the new track , -will-,be imuch superior to that of- 'Tahuna 3Park, as it -will lie to -the .sun, =and not. in. _,such"-an exposed, position < as' the present -track. .