Record Fields, Record Crowds, Record Investments

After a week of cloudy weather, Saturday, May 21, first day of the Poverty Bay Turf Club's two-day autumn meeting at Makaraka, dawned bright, warm, and clear. With record fields listed, prospects for the meeting matched the weather, and well before the first race was started, the grounds presented an animated picture as racegoers thronged the lawns, keenly anticipating a pleasant and interesting (and perhaps profitable) day backing their fancies, meeting old friends, and generally making the day an outstanding social and sporting success.

"Photo News" pictures, taken on the previous Thursday, when the galloping trials were held, and on the first day of the meeting, described above, were made possible by courtesy of the manager of the Turf Club stables at Makaraka, Mr Turnbull, and the Secretary of the Club, Mr Donald.

Queen's Garland, caught with one eye shut, gets an early morning grooming in stable before training run.

Mr Donald and Mr Turnbull crack a joke as they study the stable booking schedule.

Horses in stalls, with galloping trial over, watch while stable mates take their runs, and trainers and jockeys pace their horses interminably round the willows.

Lone spectator in jockeys' stand studies form as Peterford, with W. J. Mudford up, completes his trial. Peterford won Matawhero Novice Stakes No.1 and paid £14.10.6.

Up and over an incident during the jumping trials.

Two Matamata horses, Rangi's Luck and Special Script, returning from their trials.

With such large acceptances, trials on the Thursday took several hours. Even late in the morning, horses kept arriving at the course.

On hand at the course to study form were (left to right) Mr L. A. Haggie (club steward), Mr Charlie Wright, who has been riding and training horses in Gisborne since he was a boy, and Mr H. H. Dods (club president).

While another competitor gets hosed down.

After the trials: King Harold takes a roll in the sand.

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The Gisborne Photo News

No 11 : June 2, 1955

Record Fields, Record Crowds, Record Investments