TARANAKI JOCKEY CLUB.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1921, Page 3

TARANAKI JOCKEY CLUB.

ASSET TO TARANAKI. PROPOSALS FOR EXPANSION. I big IMPROVEMENT SCHEME. Jf _ su Pport of its application for an additional totalisator permit in the ex ent of any such being granted, the laranaki Jockey Club advanced the following reasons:— : *^ s stated in our original application, the Taranaki Jockey Club is a metropolitan body, and is one of the oldest in the Dominion, having raced continuous* jly since 1576. With the exception of ! Greymouth the T.J.C. is the only meti ropolitian club that has authority for only four days’ racing per annum. We submit that the importance of the metropolitan club for the Taranaki pro* ,'inee justifies its being granted a more equitable apportionment of metropolitan permits. New Plymouth is a town that is now 'very rapidly advancing in commercial, shipping and civic importance, and is showing a very rapid increase in population, for reasons that will be obvious to the members of the commission during its progress through Taranaki. The whole of the land of this province lends itself peculiarly to close settlement. and this is the process of development that is being followed throughout its length and breadth, as land comes under settlement. There is no reason to doubt that the production : following this system of close settlement and intense farming will maintain I for Taranaki its premier position as I the richest province in New Zealand per [acre and per capita. A much more I rapid growth for the town of New Plymouth. through which all the overseas shipping for the province and the hinterland of central North Island is commencing to pass, will obviously follow, and in making provision for racecourse improvements and extensions now being ■ commenced, the T.J.C. has estimated ; that twenty years henc° it will be catlenng for a New Plymouth population of i -iO.OOO to 50.000. and a provincial population of upwards of 150,000. i On the west coast of Taranaki, from Opunake 40 miles south of New Plymouth, to Mokau-Awakino 50 miles [north of New Plymouth, all country ‘ rapidly undergoing close settlement, the Taranaki Jockey Club provides the only racing, excepting the one day at Opu- , nake. New Plymouth is the natural j centre from which all the trade and I traffic of this extensive district radilate. regular lines of motor coaches providing the daily mail, passenger and freight services, over excellent roads for [the greater part of the distances. To ithe east from New Plymouth, Stratford '3O miles» and Hawera (46 miles), are the only other racing clubs in Taranaki. FUTURE EXPANSION. i _ The position of the TJ.C. is to-day, [that while our racing facilities are . neither out of date nor ill designed, , they are totally inadequate to cope I with the patronage. Various scheme* have been under close consideration dur- . ing rhe past three years, the contentious point being whether the existing race- | course (which a* you Will see is uniquely situated within and overlooking the town i. should be abandoned and a new [course constructed some distance away i Eventually it was decided that the pre sent site should J V retained, and an additional 25 acres of suburban land, ; adjoining the present racecourse, was purchased at a cost of £10,500. A delegation from the club subse- , quentiy inspected many of the I in the North Island, and provisional : plans for a complete new outfit of rac- ; ing and training tracks, and all neees =ary new buildings have been prepared, flie work of preparing plans for the new tracks, lawns and drives having been , entrusted to Mr. Hill, of Ellerslie. It’ will be recognised that ij; is impossible ! to state with any degree of certainty . the probable cost of the new work, but ! [ it is already obvious that somewhere between £50.000 and £70,000 will be I requirt-d. It is the aim of the club to ■ provide the very best in racing and I training tracks, but particularly it is I the intention to provide accommodation ’ in buildings and lawns, etc., for the publie that v ill ensure no discomfort [of overcrowding for the next twenty-five [years or longerr- It without sayiing that every advantage will be taken of the commanding situation and naturally picturesque surroundings to make , the new course one of the leading show places of the town. A CONVENIENT CENTRE. New Plymouth possesses many advantages for hor=:e training in equability of climate, in the fact that the tracK*are available for work in all states of the weather, and in the possession or splendid stretches of sandy beach. ! within a m-le of any of the racing ; stable*:. Swimming exercise may be in- , dulged in at any time. The club ha< ; provided its own shelters on the beach i for the use of trainers. Within a few years rail connections with the Main Trunk line via Stratford will be completed, and New Plymouth will then be a convenient centre from which to work meeting* both north and south. Ideal conditions, for training, coupled with convenient travelling facilities, justifies the committee in believing that before long many more racing stables will be established in New Plymouth. While the T.J.C. is an old-established one, it is not by any means a wealthy club, mainly for the reason that the making and storing of profits has never been its main objective. It has been the endeavor of the club to popularise its course and the racing conducted on • it«with the general public. The T.T.C. i- regarded irf this community as an ■ institution to which any struggling; body or deserving object might appeal ■ for financial assistance with confidence. ! The Taranaki Metropolitan A. and P. ! Society had the use of the club’s ground for very years free of I cost, and since becoming established on it® own grounds, the society has been j in receipt of a substantial annual dona- ! tion towards its funds. An annual , grant of £5O is made to the Citizens’ I Band, and the North Taranaki Hunt! (Tub has been assited to the extent of ; • £2OO. The Boys' High School has had , the use of the club’s buildings for some i years free of costs, as well as having been granted substantial donations towards the board’s building funds. Last vear the club voted the Borough Council £450 toward® the borough’s street improvements in the vicinity of the course , The New Plymouth Trotting Club, the North Taranaki Hunt Club, and the New Plymouth Motor Cycle Racing Club enjoy the free use of all the club’s rrrounds and buildings, while the large area within the tracks has always been utilised by the Rugby football clubs without any charge. During; the war

'period the club contributed its profits to the various patriotic and war relief funds. These facts are mentioned to show the policy that has been adopted by the club, as a result of which it has earned the goodwill of all sections of the community, apart from those few whose views are opposed to everything associated with racing. We have no hesitation in affirming that any enquiries , made by the commission from any source in New Plymouth will bear out the foregoing statement. ROOM FOR OTHER SPORTS. During the 1920 session of Parliament the club, through the Borough Council, promoted The New Plymouth Recreation and Racecourse 'Reserve AmendI ment Act, 1920, the object being to have [ corrected some of the anomalies of the • Act of 1887, under which the reserve I portion of the club’s racecourse is held. • Under this amending Act, the days on ■ which the reserve portion of the proper- | ty may be used for racing, was increas■ed from four to six, and the club was further authorised to allow other racing, trotting or hunt clubs to race on i the course on not more than four days j per year. The Act of 1887 was only : passed after a hard fight, in which | strong opposition from the town itself used a strong influence in Parliament j against the club. The change that has ; taken place in public opinion was evi- . denced last year; when there not only I was no opposition whatever, but the ! Bill was favored by the Borough Coun- • cil, and endorsed by various local asso- ’ ciations. In carrying out the work of laying 1 out the new course, the club will level : oil and prepare the whole of the area ; inside the tracks for cricket, football • and other athletic games. This will ! provide one of the largest prepared ! areas devoted solely to outdoor sports and athletics in the Dominion, and the work is being eagerly looked forward to by the Taranaki Rugby Union and other sports governing bodies, who are finding it increasingly difficult to provide playing areas for players within the town. We feel that if racing eluoa wherever possible, were to use their properties more in the interests of the! gareelpubln general after having provided for I racing, there would be less support ac- j corded those who are continually cry- ] ( ing out against racing. WINTER RACING. I It is the intention of the club to eater for winter and steeplechase racing if an additional permit is obtained. A good steeplechase course will be laid out at the course, and it is hoped to be able to hold a meeting to fit in with the Hunt Club's fixture. While it is hoped to get a permit for two days, it would still ’be possible, were only a one-day permit granted, to have two days' racing of the same class, by arranging for the Hunt Club to race with us. The club is at present considering the •[ question of erecting permanent stabling i of its own for the use of visiting owners and trainers, and also of an agcom- : modal ion house in the vicinity. ' The | gradual closing of livery stables has 1 forced the position, and the club is at 1 present considering the purchase of a ■ suitable area for the erection of the i; necessary buildings, within reasonable distance of the course. The club hopes also to _so arrange its fixtures as to race almost exclusively on public holidays, and thus avoid, as far as possible, dislocation of industry. The Christmas meeting is held on Boxing Day and the day following, and it is hoped ultimately to alter the dates of the cup meeting in February to prob- [ ably about March 31, the provincial Anniversary Day, if this can be reserved as a public holiday, and the Saturday ?ollowing.

GROWTH OF THE CLUB. The growth of the club may be guaged from the following comparative figures over the past few years:— Stakes. Gates. Totalisator.

1910 2680 732 23,966 1911 3045 803 28,735 1912 3215 81'1 40.320 1913 3480 900 47,818 1914 3915 1002 60.176 1915 4415 968 67,647 1916 4760 1009 72,868 1917 4815 1126 81,629 1918 4360 952 *74,993 1919 4755 1449 *.84,567 1920 6600 2391 131,147 1921 9200 3130 155,059 •Three days.