Page:1930 QLD Royal Commission into Racing Report.djvu/31

31 The Eagle Farm course was used on thirty-one occasions including the five Saturdays allotted to Tattersall's Club. Experts have advised that this course cannot be used more often without injury to the track.

The Brisbane Amateur Turf Club raced at Albion Park on thirty-one days.

This gives a total of sixty-two registered racing days for 1929.

The meetings conducted by The Queensland Turf Club and by Tattersall's Club comprise well-balanced programmes catering for all classes of horses. These programmes include classic races (conducted by The Queensland Turf Club itself) qualified (two-year- old), weight-for-age, and the chief long distance races. The programmes in this respect are similar to those of other leading clubs in Australia.

The Queensland Turf Club holds during the year three meetings extending over three days in June, August, and November. At the June "King's Birthday" meeting, such important races as the Stradbroke Handicap, St. Leger Stakes, Sires' Produce Stakes, Brisbane Cup, and weight-for-age events are run. The August meeting covers Exhibition Carnival week. The principal races at the November meeting are The Hopeful Stakes, The McDougall Stakes, The Derby Stakes, The Queensland Cup, and Weight-for-age events. These meetings attract considerably larger attendances than other meetings. There are also several meetings extending over two days. The remaining meetings are ordinary monthly meetings held on one day only.

The programme at Albion Park, on the other hand, is more or less stereotyped.

Normally, it consists throughout the year of two races, divided into what are called "divisions." The first race is usually run in four divisions, raced over 6½ and 7 furlongs; the second in two divisions, both run over 1 mile and 57 yards.

Many owners and trainers object to this system, which leaves it to the handicapper to determine in which division a horse entered for a race is to compete. It not infrequently happens that a horse is placed in different divisions in succeeding weeks.

This system of divisions, which is in vogue also elsewhere in the State is stated to be intended to ensure, as far as possible, a race of equally matched competitors. Be this as it may, it is well designed to increase the revenues of the club, by encouraging the continued nomination of horses whose best days are over, as well as the nomination of horses considered unfit to compete at Eagle Farm.

The monotony of programmes reduces the attractiveness of the racing to the public, while several classes of horses are automatically excluded by the holding only of short-distance events.

Several more important meetings are held during the year, at which larger prizes are offered. At these meetings one of the divisional events gives place to a more valuable race for which horses nominated are handicapped as if of one class.