For Hacks Only At Te Awamutu

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 853, 23 December 1929, Page 12

For Hacks Only At Te Awamutu

RECOMMENDATION FOR WAIPA SUCCESSS OF RECENT MEETING A meeting of the committee of the Waipa Racing Club -was held on Friday evening at Te Awamutu, _ there being present Messrs. A. S. "Wallace (chairman), M. If. Tims, A. Bond, C. f. Storey, J. P. O'Sullivan, J. T. Young, and the secretary, Mr. J. G. Wynyanl. Mr. P. P. Hockley wrote thanking the club for electing him a life memher. The chairman explained that the special object of the meeting was to invite suggestions for improvement of the course and appointments. The stipendiary stewards’ report on the recent meeting was encouraging. He said the management was effective and all officials active in their duties. The racing was good and clean, and there were no incidents calling for attention. The report continued: ‘’ln my opinion this club would be well advised to run its programme under hack conidtions, thus catering for the great number of horses eligible in the Auckland and Waikato districts.” After discussion of various proposed improvements it was decided to get an estimate of the cost of moving the grandstand and of terracing. Mr. O’Sullivan complimented the caretaker and those responsible for the improved appearance of the saddling paddock. It was decided to set aside £IOO for the purpose of banking up the outer part of the track between the two and four-furlong posts, and to call tenders for the work. The secretary said that though he could not give a definite statement as to the financial success of the recent race meeting’, it would exceed last year’s figures. Improvements Advocated Mr. Young advocated shifting the judge’s box back from the edge of the Mr. O’Sullivan favoured improving the weighing-room and rails for placed horses. It was stated the totalisator manager, recommended increasing the number of pay-out windows for patrons of the outside paddocks. Mr. Sims said that until the grandstant was shifted on to the first terrace the rest of the improvements could not be undertaken. There should be improved facilities for members. A rough estimate for shifting the structure was £250. The terracing would cost a good deal. A suggestion was made that as the six-furlong post, being on the bend, entails unfairness to the horses that draw outside positions, it would be better to have no more six-furlong events, these to be replaced with events of a half a furlong farther. Members did not agree with the stipendiary’s suggestion of confining the meeting to hacks, but the matter will be considered at the next meeting of the committee.