RANGITIKEI RACING CLUB.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9589, 8 September 1909, Page 7

RANGITIKEI RACING CLUB.

THE NEW COURSE.

The Rangitikei Racing Club is one of the oldest institutions in the North Island, having celebrated its jubilee two years ago. A. little while back the club purchased the freehold of some ninety acres of the property on which the meetings are held. It was also decided a year ago to lay down a new course and erect up-to date buildings. Assisted by an energetic course committee, the work has progressed satisfactorily, and is now amost completed The course runs some distance further back than the one formerly used, and tne buildings are erected on a natural terrace, which runs for some distance along one end of the property. The stewards' stand, a handsome two-storied structure, provides accommodation for secretary, jockeys and clerk of scales on the ground floor. Upstairs is a stewards' room and press room leading on to a balcony 30ft by 12ft. The new grandstand, about three chains away from the other building, will conveniently accommodate about 1,500 persons. It is reached by four rows of steps from the front of the building. Underneath the building are ladies' cloakroom, kitchen, public luncheon room, stewards' luncheon room, and bar. A new totalisator house has been built at the end of the lawn and will accommodate three machines. The enclosures, lawn, saddling paadock. and birdcaee cover an acre and a half. A range of scraping sheds and loose boxes and a sand roll, 16ft by 16ft, have been erected for the convenience of local trainers and visiting owners. Th« course proper is about a mile and three chains round, and three chains wide. Fourteen chains of the course in the straight was sown in grass last autumn, and has done well; in fact, the entire track is ready to race on in the spring. It s proposed to make the six furlongs' start a straight one, starting somewhere near wh<-ra the steeplehase start was. A splendid view ot the whole course can be ob tained from the stand? or the terrace, which runs parallel with the track to the entrance of the straight. It was considered advisable not to hold the steeplechase meeting on the course this year, as the recent rains had made the course heavy in some parts, and racing on it would have affected the new growth of grass. Tha summer meeting at New Year will be held at Bulls, and regular patrons of the old club will be pleasantly surprised at the transformation brought about by the expenditure of several thousand pounds.