Trotting Opposes Change In T.A.B. Profit Distribution

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32295, 13 May 1970, Page 5

Trotting Opposes Change In T.A.B. Profit Distribution

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON. The present system for distributing T.A.B. profits | should be preserved, the New Zealand Trotting Conference told the Royal Commission on racing yesterday. The conference presented a three-part submission on phase two of the inquiry, dealing with the T.A.8., the operation of totalisators and! sweepstakes, and new forms l of betting. Anticipating that the rac-<

ing conference would ask the commission to recommend distribution on off-course turnover alone, instead of on and off-course turnover as at present, the trotting conference opposed such a change. The Trotting Conference said that in 1965-69 the distribution was $832,135 out of a total of i $3,019,913. If the division had been made on off-course turn--1 over alone the share w'ould 1 have been $774,189. Thirty-five trotting clubs ’ would have been worse off than - they were under the present I method by sums up to $23,931 ; (Auckland T.C.) and 12 better off, |by up to $6767 (Wellington T.C.) i if the suggested system had j ■been used.

Of the racing clubs, 19 woulc have been worse ©ff by up t< $58,570 (Auckland R.C.), and 61 better off by up to $9354 (Eg mont R.C.). Date Problem The conference said that dis tribution on off-course turnovei “quite plainly’’ favoured rac ing, and predicted under tht proposed system on-course at tendances would suffer becaust clubs would place increasec store by their TAB. turnover. The same consideration woulc cause more clubs to seek race days to themselves, complicat ing the date problem, the con ference said. Since the T.A.B. was only ar ! agent on the on-course totalisa I tor, the on-course elemenl ishould count in distribution. The conference supported the ( principle that the T.A.B. should I retain the discretionary power to retain part or -all of its 1 profits, though the board has never exercised this power. The conference recommended that the present distribution formula be given statutory’ rej cognition. It opposed interim distribu- • tion of profit because the profit would suffer by losing the interi est now accrued in short-term I investment; it would also be unfair to clubs racing later in i the season, it said. Same System The constitution of the board —four racing conference men. four trotting conference men with annual rotation of chairmanship between the conferences—should not be changed. It endorsed the idea of sameday payout by the T.A.8., capital expenditure on totalisator facilities, including computers, and argued against the introduction of 50c win-and-place betting. On equalisator meetings, clubs’ commission should be increased from 10 per cent to 15 per cent to cover costs, it said. The conference noted Gaming Act anomalies which need clarification, specifically the term “totalisator,” and the capacity of the act to authorise forms of multiple betting other than win, place and double. The Minister of Internal Affairs should be authorised to approve new methods of betting recommended by the conferences, or the jackpot, quinella and treble betting should be specifically authorised, it said. The clubs should be able to

Id deduct 10.18 per cent commisto sion from any such pool. Clubs’ Views i Three racing clubs made submissions yesterday, two on the distribution of T A B. profit and I the other on totalisator deducS s _ tions. I The Hawke’s Bay J.C. (Messrs ' W. R. Stead and A. E. Wishart) . asked that the basis of distributton of T.A.B. profit be off’■jeourse turnover only. ■ It said that on the present system of profit distribution it Id had received $20,636 less than it e- was entitled to. t- The Egmont R.C. (Mr W. J. n- Donovan) made a similar request. n The Whakatane R.C. (Mr J. a- A. L. Gibson) requested amendit ing legislation to allow totalisator clubs to make commission deductions similar to those made d oy non-totalisator clubs. The club sought permission ’ to do so while establishing its “ own course at Whakatane. It b now uses it totalisator permit . at Tauranga. ** The commission ended its n May sittings yesterday and will resume on June 2. 1“A 1 T « Adaptor Is Replaced d ), (N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) " NEW YORK. Ambro Harvey, an impressive] winner last Saturday, has been! s selected to replace the Austra-! lian horse Adaptor in the Good *’ Time Pace, second leg in the! . $134,000 Yonkers International! ’• Pacing series. Ambro Harvey, a six-year-old e son of Capetown out of Tar- , port Rhythm, earned his way into the Friday classic by virtue ’■ of an impressive Imin 59 4-ssec 5 victory at Yonkers on Saturday *• evening, a race in which C. *• Abbatiello drove the gelding in “ the lead all the way. The vicy tory, his fourth this year from e nine starts, took his earnings to *• $26,750. g Joining Armbro Harvey in the d Good Time Pace will be Fulla Napoleon, winner of the Intertl national Pace in 3min 03 l-ssec o for the mile and a half. Rum g Customer and Good Chase, the second and third place finishers a and Peter Way Sultan, Lucky e Creed, Horton Hanover and Lav-1 I. ender Laddie, all of which o started in the International.