Trotting bets expected to reach $ll1M

Press, 11 July 1980, Page 2 (Supplement)

Trotting bets expected to reach $ll1M

By

W. R. CARSTON

The Totalisator Agency Board’s turnover on ail meetings this year was expected to exceed $360 million, an increase of 7.1 per cent on last j'ear’s figure, and off-course betting on trotting meetings should reach Sill million, a 7 per cent increase, said the president of the Trotting Conference,. Sir James Barnes, in his report to the annual meeting of the conference in Queenstown yesterday. A table of comparative figures for the previous four years showed that trotting’s percentage of the T.A.B.’s betting total had fluctuated only slightly. In 1976 trotting’s share had been 29.6 per cent and in subsequent years the respective figures had been 29.3 per cent, 30.9 per cent, and 30.8 per cent. the basis of payment for the profits of the T.A.B. had been changed during the year and greater emphasis had been placed on clubs’ on-course performance.

“Some trotting clubs consider that they have been disadvantaged by this move but I believe that it is. too early yet to assess the full effects of the change,’’ Sir James said. “The position will be watched closely.” The work of the combined committee of the Racing Conference and Trotting Conference during the year was covered in length in the report.

The approval granted for changes of venue to some racing clubs in the North Island and the subject of minimum course rentals for tenant trotting clubs racing on courses owned by galloping clubs attracted some criticism.

Sir James said that some North Island racing clubs, forced through circumstances to race away from their own courses, had, instead of racing in their own areas, been sanctioned to hold their race meetings in a metropolitan district.

“Whilst the Trotting Conference appreciates the individual clubs’ difficulties and has not opposed all reasonable changes of venue, we are strongly against a policy of changes of venue where it could possibly affect a trotting club’s established date and its on-course performance.”

The combined committee had always been associated with the criteria laid down for minimum course rentals for those tenant chibs racing on courses owned by galloping clubs. “There are now in trotting only six of these governed by the standard charge which, I hasten to state and quite categorically. has nothing to do with the trotting representative on this committee.

“From time to time wehave been blamed in some quarters for agreeing to this arbitrary charge which, I assure you, is decided upon by the executive of the Racing Conference before we even meet to debate the issue. That debate ; is only a formality and we have asked tbit the particular issue be in lependently decided by arbitration. “Our request was declined so let me make it patently clear . your representatives oppose, in principle any decision on minimum rental unless independently determined and they.' intend to press for that course of action.” Computerisation Sir James said that after many frustrating delays the computer system .was now an accomplished facet’ of club and conference operations. The computer files now held details of nearly 32.400 horses and 15,000 people. Horse details included breed-

ing, ownership, and other statistical information which was required to produce a racebook. The people file held names and addresses, licence and calendar subscriptions, and some statistical information. The information had been checked and the system had been ready for use by mid-Decem-ber.

Some further delays had been suffered because the Post Office communication equipment to enable club [terminals to have access to the computer could not be fully tested until February. The first terminal had been installed at Addington Raceiwav in March and Auckland had followed just before Anz.ac week-end. Further terminals had been or were about to be installed at Wellington, Cambridge. Ashburton, Forbury, and Invercargill. Having carried out test runs at Addington it had been decided that the Canterbury Park winter meeting on May 23 should be used for a “live” run. A nomination report had been obtained on the morning of May 19 and had been used by the programme selection committee.

A full acceptance report had been printed by the computer and the racebook had been set from that report. There had been considerably less printing errors than under the old system where the details of each; horse had been set from individual cards. The present svstem had the capacity to hold information on 38.500 horses and 18,000 people. This should be sufficient for the next two years bearing in mind the growth rate of 4000 foals and about 1000 new neople each year.

Exports Sir James said that a total of 234 New Zealand standardbreds had been exported to Macau, where a new multi-million-dollar complex would open soon. For the first time horses would he exported to Finland and others had been sent to Norway. Inquiries had also been received from Zimbabwe, where trotting officials were keen to re-establish the sport, which had suffered badly when trade sanctions had been in force. More than 1000 standardbreds would be exported in the 1980-81 season. Breeding explosion . Although it was only two vears since volume 22 of the (trotting Stud Book had been published the breeding explosion showed few signs of I diminishing. When volume 123 became available by the end of 1980 it. would contain ■the names of 1600 new ibroodmares. In 1964-65, 1788 brood- ! mares had produced 1147 live foals. That figure had increased to 2930 live foals from 4441 broodmares in 1974-75 and in the season under review 5824 broodmares had produced an esti■mated 4250 live foals.