Raceway petition gathers momentum

The quest to save Timaru’s Phar Lap Raceway continues to gather momentum with another 700 people adding their names to a petition to keep the racecourse open and a month to go to collect a total of 5000 signatures.

The fate of the course, named after the Timaru-bred thoroughbred legend who blazed trail winning big races in Australia and North America before his untimely end in 1932, hangs in the balance, recommended for closure, along with 19 other courses in the controversial Messara Report to the Government in July.

At the racecourse’s Timaru Cup meeting on Friday, the petition, launched by Rangitata MP Andrew Falloon, and the Phar Lap Trustees group in October hit 4200 signatures.

Falloon, who manned the petition tent at the meeting, said the response has been ‘‘enormous".

Falloon said they have not given up on their pursuit of 5000 signatures. He is also confident that they will be successful and the track will remain open.

‘‘I’m hopeful with more than 4200 signatures, and with a month to go to collect more, we can show the Government there’s huge support for the racing industry in South Canterbury.’’

The campaign was officially launched after the race track, which was established in 1865, was recommended for closure in the report by senior Australian racing expert John Messara.

The report said Timaru’s raceway will not be required after 2022 when the proposed Riccarton Park synthetic track is built in Christchurch.

Last week Falloon told Stuff: ‘‘Closing Phar Lap wouldn’t just affect our racing and equine industry, there’s a whole range of local businesses and groups who benefit from the racecourse or use the facilities.’’

The club’s treasurer, Richard White, said the club is able to sustain itself financially and was not reliant on direct government support to keep it going.

White said the club’s dependence on the Government came through the fact that it ultimately determined who stayed open and how many race meetings each club held in a year.

‘‘There is no financial benefit to shutting down Phar Lap Raceway,’’ White said.

The historical significance of Phar Lap, whose statue adorns the entrance to the racehorse, must not be lost on the public, South Canterbury Racing Club president Noel Walker said.

‘‘This is a locally bred hero whose name is recognised throughout the world of horseracing,’’ he said.

‘‘This equestrian legend was Horse of the Year in Australia, and is also regarded as their best racehorse.’’

Walker added that Phar Lap was taken to North America in the early 1930s, a very rare and tedious exercise back then, because he was handicapped (rated better) much higher than any horse in Australia and New Zealand.

Phar Lap easily won the Agua Caliente Handicap in Mexico, which was offering the largest prize money ever offered in North American racing at the time, but mysteriously died in California two weeks after the race.