CUP DAY AT RICCARTON

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27191, 7 November 1953, Page 6

CUP DAY AT RICCARTON

Countless Tasks Behind Scenes

PREPARATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS

Today is New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton. Throughout the Dominion prospects have been discussed during the last few Weeks. Many thousands will see the Canterbury Jockey Club’s flat event of the year today, and many more thousands in other parts of New Zealand will hear it broadcast, and have the opportunity to bet through the Totalisator .Agency Board. The Cup has drawn 20 starters from training establishments as far north as Te Rapa and as far south as Invercargill. The field is a good one, and interest in the contest is great. In the atmosphere of excite/Kent at Riccarton few will pause to consider the arrangements, preparations, maintenance jobs, and catering services that are necessary to make this popular meeting the success that it invariably ' is. First and foremost are the thoroughbreds competing. Those which are not stabled at Riccarton have to be transported, and, for those coming from as far afield as Auckland and Invercargill the costs are high. A total of 1439 nominations were received by the club for the meeting this year, compared with 1429 in 1952. Horses nominated number 430, and about half of these will compete for the £30,350, which will be distributed in 96 prizes. Thus, at least 100 horses will not be able to make a return for their connexions.

Skilful preparation is -required to bring these performers up to racewinning standard, and the training facilities have to be kept in first-class order for them. The improved facilities provided this year include several new sawdust rolls.

The area of the main course is 20 acres; and this requires the utmost care and attention throughout the year. The new watering system, which is in operation for the first time, is capable of supplying the whole area of the track with one inch of water in 48 hours. This has proved a great boon, and has been used extensively in preparing the track for fast racing at the meeting. Watering was halted a few days ago, in case heavy rain fell before today. The track is carrying a fine sole of grass and is brilliantly green.

Apart from the course proper, there are 12 training tracks within the 300 acre area of the racecourse reserve, and these also require continual maintenance, especially at this time of the year when so many horses gallop on them.

Of the facilities for the public, the major improvement is the new turnround for buses, which has been constructed on the south corner of the grounds, about 100 yards from the turnstiles. Although this has not yet been sealed, it will be in use, and there is ample room for the many buses which will park alongside the bitumen. The manoeuvring of the buses to and from the course will now be done without risk of congestion. Modern Totalisator

The modern totalisator has received many hours of servicing; it is now 100 per cent, efficient, and ready for the anticipated large turnover. The present totalisator is the third that the club has installed. The original machine, installed in 1920, was the first electric totalisator in the South Island. This machine showed race patrons the number of tickets recorded on each horse, and was equipped with 40 ticket-issuing machines.

The second machine, installed in 1935, was the first automatic dividendcalculating machine to be installed in New Zealand, and it was equipped with 50 ticket-issuing machines. The third and present machine, which also automatically calculates the dividends, was installed in 1949. It is recognised as the most modern totalisator available, and is equipped with 80 ticket-issuing machines. y The standard of accuracy attained by this machine is practically perfect. Since it was installed, additions have been made to the mechanism and offcourse investments can now be automatically recorded. In most cases off-course investments arrive before the totalisator is opened to betters on the course. With this new addition, they are now given the opportunity to see the order of favouritism in offcourse betting. This recording of offcourse betting on to the machine takes about a minute and a half.

At Riccarton the closing of the totalisator is controlled by a totalisator steward, who is stationed at advantage points in the stewards’ stand. When the steward closes the machine at the appointed time, it is impossible to produce further tickets on that race. Approximately one ton of ticket paper every year is required for meetings at Riccarton, one third of which is used at the Cup meeting. This may not seem much, but if all the tickets sold at this meeting were collected up and placed end to end, from Christchurch they would reach a point nearly four miles beyond Rakaia.

The ticket paper is supplied to each ticket issuer on a partially pre-printed roll. The. additional code word, race number, machine code, value, horse number, indication of whether for win or place, and number of the window from which the ticket is issued are all printed on by the issuing machine. This process, together with the recording of the investment, takes threequarters of a second.

As the tickets are being issued they are recorded on a total-adding unit, and also on the selected-horse-adding unit. From the total-adding unit the necessary deductions are made automatically from the pool. The remainder is transmitted to the dividend-calculating mechanism and the resulting dividend finally is shown to betters on the barometer indicator on the face of the machine.

The totalisator crew comprises 80 sellers, 80 pay-out clerks, 24 bank clerks, 16 servicemen, four dividend calculators, and four overseers. All of these men have to know exactly what their tasks are, and do them without fuss or bother, if the running of the totalisator is to be executed smoothly. Announcement from Judge Another arrangement for this meeting has been the connecting of the judge’s box with the course speaker system. Immediately the horses flash past the post at the finish of each race the judge will announce over the speakers the numbers of the horses which he considers likely to have to weigh in. This will not only shorten the delay with the horses in the birdcage, but will have a psychological effect in relieving the tension of the pubic in the period of suspense during which the posting of the official placings is awaited.

The presenting of attractive trophies to the leading owner, breeder, trainer, apprentice rider, and cross-country rider for last season, on behalf of the New Zealand Racing Owners’, Breedcers’, and Trainers’ Association, will make a colourful spectacle after the running of the New Zealand Derby today.

All of the buildings on the course havffi received their spring cleaning and repainting, and the 7000 window panes on the .course have been cleaned. The picturesque lawns are cut and trimmed to perfection, and the azaleas, nemesias, and anemones

in the garden plots will add much to the colour of the meeting. A catering staff of 200 will provide meals and refreshments for the public, and some idea of the work entailed in this department in preparation for today can be gathered from the fact that 7200 pies will be on hand.

For the celebrating of wins and the drowning of sorrows, 1404 gallons of beer will be provided, while spirits will be on sale in the public bars for the first time since pre-war days. A staff of 70 will be employed. Gate and car park attendants bring the total number of persons employed at Riccarton today up to nearly 800.