FOXTON RACECOURSE

Shannon News, 5 November 1926, Page 3

FOXTON RACECOURSE

ALTERATIONS & IMPROVEMENTS

For more than JSO years past the Foxton Racing Clu#te annual meeting has been' looked forward to by many ■ others than those who are devoted sup- ) porters of the sport of racing. Favoured always by fine weather and ottering {as an additional incentive the various I natural characteristics, such as its shady tree. clad terraces and sheltered I nooks and corners, it has resolved- ltj self, in the minds of a large proportion lof the open-air loving public, as an ) ideal picnic ground. To cope with the {added popularity that the club is gainting yearly, the executive committee have recently put in hand and executed a number of improvements and alterations that have added considerably to the already manifold natural advantages that the course possesses, and visitors to the course recently have been strikingly impressed with what has been" done for tiheir comfort and convenience. The main' alterations, and the ones tha£ perhaps will be the' most readily appreciated, arc'the shifting back and westward of the stewards' stand one chain and the removal of the judge's box from its position on the rails to the corner of t"he steward's stand. At past meetings the box has debarred the public from witnessing many a thrilling finish that has been fought out on the course and there is no doubt that in the future the timely action of the officials in removing the obstacle will be genuinely appreciated. The moving of the stewards' stand has meant that considerably more space has been made available to, lawn patrons, nearly a chain extra frontage being gained and the birdcage has also been enlarged and improved by means of a considerable amount of levelling having being done. In the interior of the stewards' stand many needed alterations that will add to the smooth and even working of the staff on race days have been carried out. From a racing point of view the main feature perhaps in the improvements is that the club now has a six furlong straight, this being brought about by the additional room gained from the shifting of the stand. The straight is in full view of the. main stand all the time and is dei clared'to be the equal of the straight on any course outside the metropolitan centres. The view of public convenience has not been lost sight of during these extensive alterations for the sloping terraces in front of the tea kiosk I have been re-graded to an easier slope I and more seats provided thereon, and to }improve the members' entrance aven- | ues of trees that in' future years will ! contribute. additional camping spots [have been-planted"from the road baek- ! wards.

The Foxton course has always been rightly regarded as a dry course and the committee have been at no small pains lately, during the excessive rainfall of the last two months,.to ensure that its reputation shall be in nn way impaired. - To - meet the requirements of any future excessive rainfall, a drain has been dug right round from the south-eastern side to the northeastern side of the course and it has already proved its effectiveness. That the Foxton Motor Club's motor cycle sports could *be held on the course immediately on the heels' of the deluge that Foxton and district has lately experienced is a striking tribute to the dryness of the course and its wearing qualities. All these and many other incidental improvements bear eloquent testimony to the fact that the committee of the club is fully alive to the charge they have on their hands and are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the Foxton course will always hold premier place with the sport loving public as the "picnic course of New Zealand." THE FOXTON CUP. Fortunate indeed will be the winner of the very handsome and valuable cup that has been presented by Mrs. i Austin-Johnston, of Foxton, to the Foxton Racing Club for its next meeting ;in January. From additional particulars that have been receive'd by ''Binocular" concerning the trophy, it appears that, during the course of her English and Continental tour, Mrs. Austin-Johnston visited the South Kensington Museum in London, and whilst there was impressed with the design and style of a very old goblet of ancient workmanship. It was then that the donor conceived the generous idea of presenting a cup to the Foxton Racing Club and, accordingly, arranged with the Gold and Silversmiths' Coy., of London, to have a cup.made on a design copied from the ancient architecture of the goblet in the museum. In acknowledging /the generosity of Mrs. Austin-Johnston at a recent meeting of the club, Mr. W. Jewell drew attention to the fact that she was the first lady member of the Foxton Raeing Club and had signalised her entry into sporting circles with a very sportsmanlike action. The speaker went on to say that the club hoped,that the magnificent gift of Mrs. Austin-Johnston would create a spirit of emulation among members, for trophies of this description added , materially to the prestige of the club as a meeting, worthy of the attendance of the best of horses, and also considerably enhanced the traditional instincts of "the sport of kings."