TROTTING MERGER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 928, 22 March 1930, Page 12

TROTTING MERGER

SOUND FROM FINANCIAL I ASPECT j 1 BUT EFFECTED BY RULE ‘ . ! i The chief (topic of conversation 1 in trotting circles just now is the ( proposed merger of the Auckland and Otahuhu clubs, and many and ( varied are the opinions expressed j on all sides. } The scheme has much to recommend ; it when viewed, from the financial as- ! pect of the clubs concerned. The < Otahuhu organisation possesses a ' fine suburban property which with the erection of up-to-date appointments could be made a valuable and popular racing centre. But the cost of the required facilities is enormous and the club’s resources are not healthy enough to warrant the expenditure. On the other hand, the Auckland club finds the time has arrived when an electric totalisator and one or two other improvements are absolutely necessary. With the assistance of the annual rental from the sister-organisa-tion this may be possible, but should the Otahuhu club decide to carry along on its own and shift to the suburban track, Auckland will lose a good deal of revenue. With the amalgamation of the two bodies it is anticipated the required improvement can be effected at Alexandra Park, and Otahuhu still retain its course for training purposes. As far as the clubs concerned stand everything seems to be passing off satisfactorily, but there is a “fly in the ointment” that may not yet have j been noticed by those engaged in j bringing about the merger. This is 1 the question of trotting meetings to be ! held. In the Trotting Association’s regulations for race meetings Rule 104 clearly states “No club shall hold more than four meetings in any racing year, and no meeting shall be advertised so as to be Held on more than four days.” As Auckland holds three meetings I annually and Otahuhu two, it is evi- j dent from the interpretation of the i rule quoted one meeting will have to j go by the board if the amalgamation scheme reaches fruition. With both ; clubs operating there is now 11 days j trotting in this centre, but it will be~a j difficult problem for the new management to put this number of days into four meetings. Auckland holds a wJek'l? Cal Ti Val durin & Christmas week, but could it successfully run a S p n Vi ar carrdva l a t any other period of the year. This is the big- problem facing those tvho are working in the interest of the proposal, and while it is possible the special committee may wa y o£ overcoming the difficulty It will certainly be bad business for a centre like Auckland to lose one of its permits. With a club iike Wellington waiting to secure another couple of days, it is not diffiI cult to predict where the permit would So io, and there would be little I chance cf it ever being recovered.