£200,000 To Be Spent at Ellerslie

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 431, 13 August 1928, Page 1

£200,000 To Be Spent at Ellerslie

RACECOURSE IMPROVEMENTS BIG SCHEME FORESHADOWED Improvements and extensions at Ellerslie to the racecourse and stands incurring an expenditure of £200,000 are foreshadowed in the president's statement delivered by Sir Edwin Mitchelson to members of the Auckland Racing Club to-day. “With regard to future improvements at Ellerslie referred to in the annual report," said Sir Edwin, “the works include a new stand for members, the enlargement of both the main and derby stands, the abolition of the horse boxes in the lawn enclosure, which is to be enlarged, the extension of the racecourse by taking in nearly the whole of the long strip of allotments that were purchased from the Peach Estate some years ago, and on that side of the course providing for part of the steeplechase course to be entirely separate from the course proper; also for the improvement and extension of the totalisator houses. “In view of the projected scheme of works involving an outlay of at least £200,000, it has been deemed necessary to reduce the stakes for this year and to make a reduction in future classic races. Weight-for-age Races these reductions, stakes will be provided exceeding £ 00,000, and here I may state that the committee has been intensely disappointed at the meagre support given by owners to our weight-for-age races, and it will be the owners’ own fault if the two weight-for-age races are eliminated from our future summer programmes.

“Improvements to the racecourse are still being carried out. Up to the present the work of extending the course has cost £6,362, which has all been written off. The work has been necessarily slow, as racing had to continue without a stop. The new course will, however, be available for our Christmas meeting, but will not be finally completed until after the June meeting in 1929, when the rise near the five-furlongs start will be removed. The course will then be one of the finest courses in the Southern Hemisphere. There is no doubt that the high standard of racing provided at Ellerslie is much appreciated, which is clearly shown by the continually increasing attendances. A contract has been let for a new number board, the most up-to-date number board in Australasia, a cost of £1,200, larger than the present one and designed to give much more satisfaction to the public."