Auckland officials making certain of betting system

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 20

Auckland officials making certain of betting system

Special correspondent Auckland Auckland Trotting Club • officials are making every ’ effort to ensure the'gremlins, which have plagued the jetbet sell/pay system at Alexandra Park since its introduction last October, will be absent on Saturday, Cup night. A total of 265 machines, over 60 more than ever used before, will be in operation. The programme has been reduced from 10 races last . year to nine and there will be longer intervals between races than at other meetings' held by the club.

All these moves are designed to alleviate congestion at the totalisator windows and so ease pressure on the system. It is believed that pressure has been the main reason for so many breakdowns. The worst of these occurred on the first night of the Cup meeting last Saturday, when the entire system at one. stage was out of action for 23 minutes. “It’s very much a case of keeping our fingers crossed,’’ said the club secretary, Mr Jim Patterson, yesterday, “although on the face of it with so many machines in use.there should not be any problems.”

The A.T.C. is confident that, given good weather, the record course totalisator turnover for a night trotting meeting in New Zealand will hp hrnkpn The record of $1,098,507 was set last year when Cup night was a Friday instead of the traditional Saturday because there would have been a clash with the one-day cricket match between New Zealand and Australia. Mr Patterson said the totalisator facilities on Saturday, were geared to "comfortably handle” a minimum of $1.2 million. Alexandra Park crowds invariably are bigger on Saturday nights than on week

nights so there seems little doubt that last year’s figure of 18,104 will be exceeded. Course patrons will be able to place bets on the cup from 4 p.m. The race will start at 8.15 p.m. Arrangements have been made with the Totalisator Agency Board for bets to be transmitted to the course quickly and prices will be given over the public address system at frequent intervals. About 150 members’ stand privileges at a cost of $lO each were still available to the public yesterday. The meeting will be televised live on-TV-1 for half an hour from 8 p.m.