Criticism of T.A.B. quinellas

Press, 29 July 1976, Page 20

Criticism of T.A.B. quinellas

The introduction of offcourse quinella, which had already been criticised by the presidents of the Metropolitan and New Brighton Trotting Clubs, came under fire again last evening, when the president of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club addressed members at the club’s annual meeting. All that he knew about the introduction of offcourse quinellas was what he had read in newspapers, said Mr Andrews. “Nothing official has been received by the club regarding its introduction,” he said. He understood that quinella betting was to be available to off-course patrons through agencies connected to the computer from the start of the new season and that investments would form part of the on-course pool, said Mr Andrews. I

In line with most other clubs, his club had shown an increase in totalisator turn-{ over for the last season. Oncourse investments increased! by more than $200,000 to' $1,889,163 and off-course bv $365,894 to $2,729,080. both, totals being records. The on-course total of; $379,926 on the second night! of the New’ Year meeting and the off-course total of $611,631 at the May meeting were also records for the club, he said. The club has increased its share of stakes by $3370, while subsidies from the Racing Authority increased by $1750, resulting in $137,675 being distributed during the season. Attendances dropped by less than 1000 to 44,711 for the season, an average of about 7500 a meeting. The reduction was due to the

;fact that in the previous! season 8500 persons had! attended the world driving championship. a figure above the average for a mid-! week meeting. “Racing again was of a!, very high standard and the committee continued its policy of including as many mobile starts as possible in i its programmes and also encouraging young and maiden trotters,” he said. “There were four nontotalisator races for trotters, ' two of which were for two-year-olds. Spartan Prince won both races for two-year-old trotters and created a New Zealand record at the winter meeting when he trotted the 2600 m in 3:38.9.” i During the season the club included six mobile start races for trotters and 34 for pacers in its programmes. Also included were five i

'races for probationarv {drivers, which were part of ; the Maurice Holmes Trophy iseries. He felt sure the troIphy was improving the stan ' dard of driving in such [events. Otner features were men tinned including the fact that on the second night of the New Year meeting eight horses bettered two minutes for one mile, the second time the feat had been recorded at Addington. When Smokey Lopez won the Mercer Mile in 1:59 7 it was the first time a three-year-old had won a race in New Zealand in under twe minutes. Mr Andrews also mentioned Nigel Craigs New Zealand mile trotting recor of 2:1 recorded at New Y<