Wairarapa Racing Club.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3720, 27 January 1891, Page 2

Wairarapa Racing Club.

[Notes by Mazeppa.] I noticed in a recent issue of you r journal a iocal referring to the receipts and expenditure of the Wairarapa Racing Club at their first meeting at Tauherenikau. The handsome balance in hand is certainly very satisfactory, especially when it is considered that they made permanent improvements to the value of about £SO which would really have to be added to expenses. Then there is the members' subscriptions that would swell the balance about another £IOO, and if they had retained the gates they would have had at least another £SO, so it will be easily seen the wisdom of the course adopted by the principal movers in returning to the old favorite course and amalgamating with the Featherston Racing Club. I noticed your Martin borough correspondent on several occasions favored the idea of returning to the old course, and what was of more importance on more than one occasion you ably advocated it in the leading columns of your journal. It must therefore be gratifying to all concerned to find it turn out such a success, and augurs well for the Wairarapa Racing Club being one of the leading clubs in the province. The stewards undoubtedly acted wisely in not risking too much in the way of tempting stakes for the first meeting, and for that matter for a few successive meetings, until they have established themselves on a firm foundation. It must not be overlooked that there is the mill stone of the Greytown course blunder still hanging round their necks, figuratively speaking. After an absence of about 12 years or so, since the time when Mr D. Knight's handsome mare, Blanche, carried off in flying colours the liberal stakes given by Mr T C Hay ward, for the progeny of Southern Chief, I repaid the racecourse a visit, and was certainly vi ell satisfied with the day's outing, as of old in most instances the best horses won, and in the one instance that was noticeable, the would-be knowing ones' were properly endorsed. It will doubtless teach them a lesson to run straight in future.

There is no doubt that the result of the meeting of stewards on the 3lßt will be to decide to have an autumn meeting. It will doubtless prove as great a success as the Summer one, xor the majority of the horses will be kept in training till that time. I hope they will adopt the same reasonable fares with regard to admission at the gates. This will undoubtedly make it popular, not only for those that take an interest in racing for its sake, but for those bent on picnic parties. There perhaps might be an alteration in the matter of Members tickets. The privileges connected with them I think will be found rather too liberal, as follows : —Subs, .£1; Privileges to admit member and two ladies to say twp meetings, late admission would be 8s ; Grand Stand, for say member and only one lady, }ss. Besides

many other privileges, I think as the figures will show, this will be found too liberal. There are still many- improvements to be made which will require a handsome sum to undertake. The Grand Stand will require enlarging before the next summer meeting. While on this subject, there has certainly been an oversight in crowding it too near the course and thereby cramping the lawn. This, I fear, will prove a source of trouble not easily overcome, for it is pretty generally known that nearly as many people go to see the ladies in their superb dresses on the Cup day at Melbourne as go to see the actual race. One would miss greatly the wonderful massing together on the lawn of the different colours of dresses which, as I said before, is half the charm of a race meeting, especially if it were owing to ihe lawn being large and convenient. The aspect is naturally adapted to develop and beautify a lawn. There is a futile soil for growing pretty shrubs and flowers and native forest trees in the background, which form a shelter against the prevailing storms, and also aci as a Park in all iis Native beauty, where ihe ladies could, after disporting themselves to the ordinary gaze of the spectators, retreat and wend their way amongst the giants of the forest, which so effectively act as a canopy to the sun's lays.

(To be continued.)