BLAST FROM THE PAST
1886 LANCASTER PARK: First Meeting
A newspaper report of 16th April, 1886 stated that several leading sportsmen, Mr H P Lance prominent amongst them, agreed to band together to conduct Trotting Meetings at Lancaster Park in an endeavour to finance their new ground, that is Lancaster Park, for cricket. The locality was handy to town and supplied an attraction for sporting men who were at a loss on Saturday afternoons. The first Meeting was advertised to be held on Saturday 15th May, 1886 and the programme contained five races, three in saddle and two in harness, with added stakes totaling 125 sovereigns. A journalist, who inspected the grounds and facilities stated “a good course has been staked off round the grass, and with a little alteration in the fencing to the west of the grandstand a tolerably commodious saddling paddock will be adequate for the comfort of officials, jockeys, etc and altogether the facilities for the comfort of visitors will be up to the average.”
The track was a third of a mile in length or under three furlongs (600 Metres).
The inaugural meeting was not held on the day set down as there were two postponements. The first postponement was due to heavy floods in Christchurch, the Avon River having risen four feet and Ferry Road, near Lancaster Park, being one sheet of water. The second postponement was due to the death of Mr H P Lance who was a devotee of racing, one of the founders and a Steward of Lancaster Park Trotting Club. The Meeting was finally held on Saturday 29th May, 1886 when there was an attendance of over 1,100 and reports state that the arrangements made for the Meeting were excellent. £38 was taken at the gate. £1,512 was invested on the Totalisator run by Hobbs & Goodwin. The advertised Officers of the Club for the first Meeting were: Judge, Mr H P Lance, but he was replaced following his death by Mr Justice Johnson; Starter, C A Calvert; Clerk of the Course, A M Ollivier; Handicapper, B J Hale; Secretary, C J Penfold; and the Stewards, Dr H H Prins, F Cotton, J B Gresson, F Jones, H P Lance, A E G Rhodes, A Cracroft-Wilson and C H Williams.
The principal event was the Lancaster Park Time Trot of three miles in saddle. The first prize was 40 sovereigns and the result was:
1st: B Edwards “Fidget” 50 seconds Rider: Owner
2nd: D O’Brien’s “Erin” 45 second Rider: Owner
3rd: P Howard’s “Malvena” 50 seconds Rider: A J Keith
Time was 9 minutes and the dividend paid on the Totalisator was £12/3/-. The Addington Workshops Band provided a musical programme.
The Lancaster Park Trotting Club conducted seven Meetings in its first season between 29th May 1886 and 27th June 1887.
Credit: NZMTC: Historical Notes compiled by D C Parker
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