Hard Times For Racing

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 148, 13 September 1927, Page 12

Hard Times For Racing

Will Metropolitan Bodies Assist ? (Written for THE SUN.J

Most probably taking their cue from the actions of certain members of Parliament in the recent racing dispute, a good many critics of the turf and its administrators have seized with avidity the opportunity of attempting to deal the New Zealand Racing Conference, through the Auckland District • Committee, a body blow over its ac- i tion in even suggesting acceptance of , a request by the Thames Jockey Club . for permission to hold its annuad race meeting at Ellerslie. “A Racing : Abuse,’’ it is called. But like everything else, there are two sides to the , question, and the much vaunted “abuse” is nothing more nor less than an attempt at self-preservation. Are these caustic critics fully aware < of just how much it costs the owner \ to race horses nowadays? Appar- ] ently in this respect they are blissfully « ignorant, but on this question hinges < the future of racing, and the conse- j quent heavy donations to the Treasury i by way of taxation. In addition, it can be said that there are not many country clubs that can afford to keep going under the present conditions. < They have incurred big liabilities, and j with the revenue decreasing all round ] they have found themselves in diffi- « culties. DECREASE IN REVENUE In this connection, witness the ex- \ perience of the Wanganui Jockey Club, r which, in boom times, handled per 1 medium of the totalisator, a sum run- , ning into six figures for the two days of its spring meeting. Last week the same club did not register half that * figure. And Wanganui, apart from its \ enormous commitments with an en- ; tirely new property, has a much larger population behind it than these coun- ! try clubs, and therefore is better ; placed. If a metropolitan club such as Wanganui loses 50 per cent, of its ; totalisator revenue—from which the . stakes are provided—what is the position of a club like the Thames Jockey ; Club ? : The cost of taking horses from the training centres to these meetings in the country is almost prohibitive, and each horse must have an attendant, so : one can imagine what the unfortunate owner has to pay for his sport these days. Reduced totalisator revenue 1 means reduced stake money, but no reduction in the cost of travelling and other expenses incidental to ownership of horses has been brought about. Indeed, the tendency is for these expenses to increase.

Pinch Felt By Country Clubs

The position of racing in New Zealand to-day is in the melting-pot to a large extent. Clubs with large racecourses and heavy expenditure, and in a small centre with a limited population, cannot go on indefinitely with the steadily declining finances, no matter how much they reduce their stakes. Lower the stake money and the best horses naturally keep away, with the result that sportsmen from afar who would otherwise give the fixture their patronage will not go to see a poor class of horse competing. To the majority of sportsmen these days it is not only the gambling element that counts; they want to see the best horses in action. And the club that can continue to give the valuable stake money will attract the best thoroughbreds in training. THE ALTERNATIVE From this it will be realised that country clubs are right up against it, with small hope of release from their liabilities from an unsympathetic Treasury. Therefore the time is coming when many of them will have to go to the wall, or in the meantime attempt to keep their heads above water by racing on metropolitan courses. There appears to be no other alternative. It is not considered by those that have had long experience in these matters that this course would detrimentally affect the business community of a city such as Auckland. We have not yet grown to the status of Sydney, but they have racing there practically every day of the week, and yet very little is heard of the city being any the worse for it. There are certain sporting folk who will always find time to attend a race meeting, whether it is held in Auckland or Thames, and in addition there is the expense to owners and others interested in the sport that has to be considered. The Thames Club is a popular sporting body, and in its wisdom deems it essential to hold this year’s meeting at Ellerslie, or at any rate away from its own tricks. Therefore, where does the “sordid abuse,” warranting the interference of politicians, come in? “Auckland business is to suffer and tradesmen go short to enrich the Thames Jockey Club” is what the critics say. Ye gods! what next? A. de C.T.