Racing back into the past with book
Telling the story of the Pirongia Boxing Day Races
At the beginning of 2019, long-serving sports editor Colin Thorsen wrote “The future of Pirongia’s Boxing Day race meeting is in serious jeopardy after a disappointing crowd of only 1500 paid at the gate on December 26.”
That statement turned out to be a reality when at the 2019 AGM it was decided no more Boxing Day Races would be held. The Alexandra Racing Club, believed to have been formed in 1872, would continue in recess.
A final hurrah was held for the Pirongia Boxing Day Races at the Pirongia Golf Club where the meetings were held— a chance for the local families that had long histories with the 150-year-old club and tradition of the meeting to gather, reminisce and close a chapter on the historic event.
As well as the collective memories of the thousands of people who attended the annual event, two tangible legacies were presented at the gathering.
Amonument to the races has been constructed at the clubrooms, made possible by a bequest from Molly Dawson (nee Macky), volunteers and support from local businesses.
Molly, with her brother Jack, bred Light Fingers, winner of the 1965 Melbourne Cup.
In 1982 the main trophy was the Pirongia Light Fingers Cup, and then from 1997 the Molly Dawson Memorial Light Fingers Cup.
Secondly, a book was launched – A Salute to the Past: The Story of the Pirongia Boxing Day Races researched, compiled and written by Pirongia historian Alan Hall.
It is this book which features Colin
Thorsen’s words about the event.
He said while it was a “job” quickly became a labour of love.
“My wife Bronwyn and I only considered that our holidays had begun once we attended the picnic races on Boxing Day.”
Colin is just one of a number of it people to record their thoughts about the races at the end of the book.
Another is Alexandra Racing Club president Bush Macky, who gives some insight into the decisionmaking that led to the end of racing.
He said when considering the future of the race meeting, an on-site meeting was held with a board member of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing to establish the future health and safety requirements and whether the club would be financially capable of meeting those needs.
Bush said it became clear the club would not be able to afford the required upgrades.
“At that stage, we realised that bureaucratic requirements had developed to a point where our country