Training Tracks at Takanini

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 130, 23 August 1927, Page 10

Training Tracks at Takanini

GALLOPS ALL THE YEAR ROUND

CONSIDERED by an authority as probably the best training’ tracks in the Dominion, the new course at Takanini was warmly recommended to owners and trainers at yesterday’s annual meeting of the Takapuna Jockey Club.

Inspired by the necessity for trainers to have facilities permitting of preparation of their horses for racing, and the fact that the congestion at headquarters at Ellerslie rendered imperative a move to other parts to find the ideal ground, Mr. Fred Earl. K.C., a popular Auckland owner and one of our best known turf administrators, succeeded in interesting several sportsmen and businessmen in a scheme he had in mind. Mr. Earl and his co-operators were successful in securing a fine property at Takanini, adjoining the private training grounds and establishment of J. T. Jamieson at Papakura. This committee, or syndicate, also had a property in view at Papatoetoe, but this was not considered as suitable as Takanini. TO BE HANDED OVER AT COST It was an expensive undertaking, for the laying down of four tracks was a long and costly job, but acting on the principle that what was worth doing was worth doing well, the result is now seen in the splendid course now coming into use for training operations. The tracks at Takanini are the best in the Dominion, for they will be available for training for every day in the year. Wet weather will have very little effect on them. There has been no surface water, despite the heavy rain. In these terms Mr. W. J. Ralph spoke of the new training centre, which he characterised as an outstanding event.

He referred to the public spiritedness of Mr. F. Earl and his coadjutors in the scheme. The Auckland Racing Club was subsidising the Takanini operations to the extent of £SOO for three years, and the Takapuna Jockey Club contributed £3OO for a similar period. When completed, the Takanini course would be handed over at its cost price. EXCELLENT GALLOPS The formation of the new training tracks was such as to provide an excellent galloping ground. Furthermore, Mr. Ralph declared that with horses trained at Takanini they would be sounder and better legged. They would not go sore on the Takanini ground. Takanini was within half-an-liour’s motor run of Ellerslie by a perfect concrete road. The new course was one mile and three chains round, and there were three grass gallops and a plough, each 25 feet wide. At present 21 horses were already working on the new course. The grass tracks would be opened in October. TAKAPUNA’S WAY OUT In his presidential address yesterday at the annual meeting of members of the Takapuna Jockey Club, the Hon. E. W. Alison dealt with the difficulty of providing training tracks at Takapuna, and referred at length to the Takanini course. “There is one item, district training tracks £3OO, in the statement of expenditure which is worthy of special attention,” he stated. “I refer to the subsidy to the Takanini training tracks. Members will, no doubt, appreciate the serious difficulty the Takapuna Jockey ’Club have experienced regarding the provision of training facilities. As an important racing club we were under the obligation common to all other clubs of similar status to provide our proper proportion of these facilities, but we were faced with the practically insuperable difficulty of constructing THAMES JOCKEY CLUB LOSS ON THE YEAR THE SEASON REVIEWED In presenting the fifty-eighth annual report of the Thames Jockey Club at the annual meeting of members last evening the president, Mr. H. Lowe, stated that receipts from all sources, including a credit balance of £1,051 brought forward from the previous year, amounted to £9,358, and the expenditure to £9.132, leaving a credit balance of £22,6. The sum of £2.750 had been paid in stakes, and £2573 14s in Government taxes, while the sum of £327 was paid in local rates. The working account for the year, after writing off the sum of £343 for depreciation, showed a loss of £376. This was due to the small profit of£3oß accruing from the last race meeting, and the fact that rates and interest paid alone amounted to £638 14s sd. The committee had confidently looked forward to a more sue-

suitable tracks on our own property without a capital expenditure of a prohibitive amount, and a large annual expenditure for maintenance. CONGESTION AT ELLERSLIE "The Auckland Racing Club’s tracks, owing to the congestion of horses in training there, have for several years past been a source of anxiety and great expense to that club, and its committee about three years ago made an excursion to Papatoetoe and Takanini for the purpose of inspecting land offered as suitable for supplementary tracks. "Papatoetoe was turned down as unsuitable and Takanini favourably reported upon, but it was eventually decided that it would be better to subsidise a training track scheme in private hands provided the undertaking was carried out under the supervision of Mr. Albert Hill and maintained to the satisfaction of the committee. BIRTH OF TAKANINI* “A group of Auckland sportsmen got together and purchased the land inspected and approved, which by the way comprises the old Papakura racecourse, formed themselves into a company, and after having arrived at proper understandings with the Auckland Racing Club, and our club promptly set to work, and have now completed, to the satisfaction of all concerned, training tracks of a most efficient character. “These tracks have been inspected by the Auckland Racing Club Committee, and their course manager and

by myself and certain members of our committee, and we are all in a.ccord in our complete satisfaction with the work. There is little doubt these tracks will relieve the congestion at Ellerslie. and be a boon to owners desiring to have their horses trained in suitable conditions within handy distance from the city and away from the dangers of road traffic. FULFILLING OBLIGATIONS “As far as our club is concerned, by the subsidy we are paying, we are fulfilling our obligations in this connection. and the general result is satisfactory from every point of view. The owners of the new tracks have entered upon this undertaking in a sporting and not a commercial spirit. As a proof of this they have offered the Auckland Racing Club an option to take over the concern at cost price. The Auckland Racing Club subsidy is £SOO per annum and ours £3OO. SPORTING SPONSORS “It may be interesting to members to know that the scheme was conceived by Mr. Earl, who has gathered round him a group of sportsmen practically all horse-owners well representative of the sport in this district. Mr. Earl is deserving of the highest commendation, not only for the initiation of his proposal, but also for the enthusiastic attention which he has given to the carrying out of the enterprise. The land is freehold and its area is 86 acres, purchased at £IOO per acre. It can be reached by car on a concrete road in about 30 minutes from Ellerslie. The circumference of the track is rather more than a mile. “There are three grass tracks and one plough, each 25 feet in width, and a jogging track. The soil is exceptionally suitable for training purposes, and 20 scraping sheds are in course of erection. The management desire me to say that members of our club are cordially invited to inspect the tracks, and the caretaker has been instructed to give every facility for this purpose.” cessful meeting last year, the nominations received being the best for a number of years. The inclement weather experienced for a week prior to and during the meeting, however, had the effect of not only seriously affecting the attendance, but the condition of the new racing track, and resulted in reduced totalisator turnover and gate receipts. The sum of £974 had been expended in completing the improvements to the new racing track. £203 of this amount being for the acquisition of an area for additional parking facilities. The total amount expended in acquiring land and extending and improving the racing track had been £4,091. The Thames Trotting Club held its third totalisator meeting on the new course last March, and in accordance with the deed of agreement the Jockey Club received the sum of £268, being 1J per cent, of the totalisator investments. The club was again to be congratulated on the result of the last year’s sale of lambs and wool, the sum of £269 6s 3d being received from a flock of 160 sheep. During the year death deprived the club of the valued services of its late president, Mr. Albert Bruce. He had been connected with the club almost from its inception, and had always taken the keenest interest not only in its affairs, but in matters pertaining to the sport generally.