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THE V.A.T.C.
OVER £72,000 IN STAKES.
Year's Progress Reviewed.
The Annual Meeting.
Two hundred members of the Victorian
Amateur Turf Club attended the annual
meeting at Menzies' Hotel yesterday. Mr.
0. Grice, acting chairman, presided.
The annual report disclosed that
£72,025 had been paid away m stakes
during tlie year, being £1530 in excess of
the total for the previous year. Since
the club was formed in November, 1875,
the total amount of prize money disbursed
was £1,354,412. Extensive improvements
to the stand in, the guineas reserve, and
the division of tli'e guineaB and flat into
separate reserves, had been effected dur
ing the year. It was intended to make
substantial improvements on tbe flat and
to tbe training tracks in tbe coming
year. The ' committeo deeply regretted
the deaths of .'the following members of
the club:— Messrs. A. .Yuille, W. Leonard,
E. Browne and H. Armytage. Mr. Yuille
occupied tbe position of chairman for a
period. The assets of the club were
valued at £113,424, and the liabilities
for 'improvements now being carried out
were estimated at £10,000.
Moving the adoption of the report, Mr.
Griee said tli'e year just closed had been
one of the most successful ever experienced
by the club. The policy of the commit
tee hnd been to increase the accommoda
tion for the public, to provide increased
stakes and to increase tho reserve fund
so that in times of stress there woidd
be no necessity to reduce tho stakes. The
committee were satisfied thut the £102,700
spent in buildings in the last three or
four years had been wisely laid out. This
progressive policy would be continued.
All improvements h'ad been paid for, and
the cost of work now in hand would be
met out of revenue.
New Training Traoks.
Mr. Grice continued: — For some years
our great difficulty has been in providing
sufficient training tracks for the large
number of horses in work. This has
now been overcome by adopting similar
tracks to those used by the A.J.C.; that
is, tracks than can be used in any wea
ther. We are now having them laid
down, and hope to have thfem completed
bv the end of th'ia venr ' Thi« ivlll, r'lVo
trainers five tracks in addition to the
two grass tracks. The approximate cost
of this work will amount to £4000 or
£5000. Movable . fences similar to those
used in the other States will be con
structed immediately after the Caulfleld
Cup. When this programme of work is
completed your club will have tracks the
equal or better than anything south of
the line. Since our last annual meeting
we have made available to tbe Caulfield
council about 11 acres of land for th'e
benefit of the public. On this land they
are erecting tennis courts, playground for
children, a first-class cricket pitch and a
football ground equal in size to the Mel
bourne cricket ground. Tho trustees are
planting the grounds with shrubs and
flowers. This work will cost from £1300
to £2000, provided from an allowance
made by the V.A.T.C. to the trustees
for keeping the ground in order. We
have also set apart a paddock where
horses may be exercised. This will beep
them off public roadways, and avoid any
danger to pedestrians and annoyance to
residents. Yo horses will be allowed to
be exercised on the racecourse proper be
fore daylight. The minimum stakes have
been increased from £400 to £500, and
for the Spring meeting there will be no
nrize undnr Tf ie n-rif
soon there will be no -stake at Caulfield
of a lower value than £750.
The report was adopted.
Replying to a question, the chairman
said the committee was in favor of in
creasing the stake wh'en dividing a race.
A Voice: I hope they will soon do it.
(Laughter.)
Mr. W. M. MacQueon: On behalf of
the Breeders, Owners and Trainers' As
sociation, I wo.uld. like to know whe
ther the committee is in favor of in
creasing the 1 number of stipendiary
stewards to four, and of placing them
round the course at Caulfield?
The Chairman: Yes.
Mr. Ryan suggested that the incoming
committee should alter the rule regulating
membership, so that the number could
be increased from 1000 to 1250.
Tho chairman, said the committee would
give the suggestion consideration.
Election of Officers.
lor the four vacancies on the. com
mittee caused by the retirement of .Messrs.
C. Baillieu, J. Grice, A. E. Synie and
G. Woodforde, the following were elected
alter a ballot had been taken:— Messrs.
J. Grice, C. Baillieu, E. L. Fearce and
W. Winter-Irving, tlie voting being:—
J. Grice, 024;- C. Baillieu, 019; E. M.
learce, 500; W. I. Winter-Irving, 473:
A. Lj. Syme, 404; G, Woodforde, 311,
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