CHASING WINNERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 279, 25 November 1941, Page 5

CHASING WINNERS

AT HELIOPOLIS RACES; N.Z. OFFICER OUT OF LUCK!: (0.C.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. ; A Aivid picture of a day at the races at Heliopolis with some inter- j esting sidelights on the trials of a punter, is given in a letter received from a New Plymouth officer who attended a race meeting on November 2. ; "Inside the stand is a very large lobby, like a small addition of the foyer of the Auckland railway station," says the letter. "Steps lead up to the seats outside. In this lobby one places £5 to £1 bets. Just outside, at one end of the stand are the 'totes.' The tickets are hung on a wall, and the clerks move up and down in front of this wall on a raised verandah. One enters a one-way race similar to the railed areas outside our own tote windows, and on the payment of 20 piastres (4/2) receives a ticket. There are win and place totes which don't pay very great divvies, except the win, which gives fair returns. A doubles tote provides small fortunes in return for 50 piastres (10/5 approximately). There is also a special 'tote.' Here one picks the first two horses. It doesn t, matter in which order they finish, as long as they are the first two horses, past the judge at 20 piastres. The dividends on this tote range from' 15 or 18 to one, up to very large sums.

"Now for the solution of the bookmaking problem. There are none. Every town of importance has one or two "totes' in every way similar to the tote on the course. It is from these that the greatest revenue is obtained. Thus people at Alexandria, or even at Cairo, can have the chance of betting even though they do not or cannot go out to see the horses run. It is an excellent system and would, I think, solve the bookmaking problem in New Zealand. "In fact the totes are much superior here in that there are more types like double, specials, etc. However; they have nothing like ouri

barometer, and I could not see any indication of the amount of money on each horse.

"There is no balloon, but a bell rings as the race starts. The horses trot out, round to the post and then away, standing or rolling start. No waiting, no delay. "Well now for the sad news. Not knowing the 'nags' I was advised to follow two jockeys. Actually that is a good plan. My fancy was captured by the special tote, so in I went with 20 piastres on number two and five in the third race. I met a friend, but his choices were hit or miss. Number two duly won, but number five, which should have been second for me to collect, was fourth. However, I thought this was encouraging in a field of eight horses. In the next race with eight horses I chose one and six for the special and eight fori a place. Number six was T'-cond,] number eight fourth and number one nowljere. At the time I was following the papers and magazines pick-j ings. Had I stuck to them I was j right, but a couple of my friend's choices led me astray.

"In the next race I took five and two in the special and eight for a place (the latter on my mate's advice). He took one and six on the special. We saved with each other on the special and had the mortification of seeing the horses finish in I jthis order: 5-1-2-6. In four races Ij had two winners, two seconds, two thirds, two fourths and two unplaced,! and didn't collect a penny. I ami going out again next week minus] my friend's advice and without: bothering about the special tote." I Egyptian horses are not as good,l jnor the times as fast as in New Zea-! I land, some recent times being: Five j furlongs, third class Arabs 1.6, maiden Arabs 1.6 4-5; six furlongs, ponies, 1.21 3-5; seven furlongs, second class Arabs, 1.39; mile, thoroughbreds, 1.40.