RACING DATES

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 431, 13 August 1928, Page 13

RACING DATES

PROTEST FROM AUCKLAND SOUTHERN CLUBS FAVOURED A.R.C. AND AVONDALE J.C. That racing clubs in the Auckland Province are at times sacrificed to benefit Southern clubs, through the country clubs having more voting power than the metropolitan clubs on the N.Z. Racing Conference, was the opinion expressed by Sir Edwin Mitchelson in his presidential address to the members of the Auckland Racing Club this afternoon, in the course of a reference to the protest recently uttered by the president of the Avondale Jockey Club against the A.R.C. changing the dates of its spring meeting. “As the president of the Avondale Jockey Club at its annual meeting adversely criticised our club’s action in changing its spring dates from November to October, I feel that it is my duty to refer to the same, with a view of showing that as far as this club is concerned there is no justification for the statements made by him,” stated Sir Edwin. “The alteration in dates was fully considered by the committee and discussed for several years before being agreed to, and there can be no doubt that the change has been greatly to the benefit of racing, as horses entered in classic races can now race first at Avondale, then Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in sequence, whereas formerly horses entered in the spring classic could not race at both Christchurch and Auckland as they are now enabled to do. “Instead of the change in dates being detrimental to Avondale it must prove to their advantage, and as regards his charge of inconsistency I will quote fully the remarks that I made at the annual meeting in August, 1925, which were as follows: METROPOLITAN CLUBS OUTVOTED “* On the conference the country clubs now have more voting power than the metropolitan clubs, and the Manawatu Club has been granted special representation. This is quite unjustifiable, as there are other country clubs who give better stakes per day and handle much more money than Manawatu. The precedent thus established will tend to cause much friction in future, and tend, also, to weaken and probably bring about the dismemberment of the conference, more especially if long established dates are shifted about to suit the vagaries of certain Southern clubs who frequently ask for a change of dates, to the detriment of Auckland clubs/ “The ‘other country clubs’ referred to were, of course, Avondale and Takapuna, and my mention of this plainly goes to show the consideration we have for our local club’s interests. “The following telegram which I sent to the conference on July 22, 1925, will emphasise the point: “ ‘As chairman of Auckland District Committee I emphatically protest Avondale fixed dates being taken from them to favour clubs that frequently changed their dates of late years. Avondale stakes and tote returns better than Manawatu. and favourably compare with Wellington. Action will probably kill Avondale’s weight-for-age contest. Alteration altogether unwarranted and likely destroy confidence in governing body/ “It must not be forgotten that the Auckland Racing Club granted Avondale permission to hold four of their race meetings at Ellerslie, with better results than would have been experienced if those meetings were held on their own course.”