RACES LONG AGO.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 January 1922, Page 3

RACES LONG AGO.

SPORT IN NEW PLYMOUTH CONTRAST WJTH TO-DAY. LONG RACES; SMALL STAKES. Accounts of race meetings in the early days make interesting narratives from the lips of reminiscent “old-tuners”, but probably there were very few persons in the crowd that attended the Taranaki Jockey Club’s course at Christmas, with its wellkept lawns and appointments, who thought of the earlier days of the sport in New Plymouth. Back files give some interesting details of a race gathering nearly fifty years ago. * In those days it was the custom, to hold the meeting on Anniversary Day, the end of March each year. Speaking ,of one such meetipg, a report states that the races were “an unqualified success, and even showers which fell throughout the day did not mar the sport. The concourse of spectators was large, especially of the fair sex. There were also natives from North and South, several vehicles full having come from the Wanganui district or thereabouts to grace the course with their presence.” Apparently even in those days certain institutions were popular, for the chronicler records that “there were several booths erected for the convenience of the visitors.” “The races,” the report continues, “were on the whole well contested, and although unfortunately the commercial position of the community is such as to render it impossible to offer high prizes, yet lovers of the sport did not scruple to bring their horses from Patea and Wanganui to patronise the races.”

The programme on that occasion started with a maiden race, of £1 10s each with £lO added. There was a field of nine, and, judging from the tone of the report, the public did not “get on” the winner. “Darkle was always considered a smart horse (it stated), but he was not the favorite for this race. Triton and Melrose were spoken of as the probable winners, but were obliged to give precedence to Darkie.” The latter, it was stated, won the race by a length and a half. The distance was one mile and a half, which apparently was the minimum at that time, as other races ranged up to two miles;

The Taranaki Plate, of £2 each, with £l2 added, saw True Blue carry 9.7 to victory. Rainbow was second. The account of the race stated : “They had the race between them, and kept together in fine style, being neck and neck the whole distance. There was a dispute at its conclusion, the jockey of Rainbow entering a protest, asserting that True Blue had crossed. The committee decided in favor of True Blue.” A horse called Maori Weed won the Ladies’ Purse, of £1 10s each, with £lO added.

The second day was ushered in by bright sun and a pleasant breeze. The first event was a hurdle race of seven leaps over 3ft 6in battens, distance two miles. The winner was Triton. True Blue added another win by annexing the Railway Stakes. The report stated that the Maori race was won by “a chestnut from the Waikato”. The Consolation Stakes, of £1 each, with £5 added, was a good race, and the winner was Woman in White. The wind-up of the programme was a forced race for winners, and it carried a stake of £2 each, with £5 added. Maori Weed beat Darkie by half a length, and the other starters were True: Blue and Triton. z

Subsequent race meetings saw the stakes oh a somewhat better footing, and the programme in 1874 opened with a Maiden Plate of £l5, while the Railway Stakes, of 24 miles, was endowed with £3O.