SUCCESS UNDOUBTED

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 39, 16 February 1933, Page 8

SUCCESS UNDOUBTED

WIN-AND-PLACE BETTING

METHOD NOW GENERAL

- The swing-over to the win-and-place system of dividend distribution, has gained momentum so rapidly that it is almost a safe assertion now that all clubs, both racing and trotting, will have installed, or have arranged to install, the new mode before the end of the present season. It is believed that both .sports will in the long run benefit very considerably indeed from the change. It was only in December that regulations granting the power to clubs to adopt the system were framed and passed, and the Taranaki Jockey Club set the ball rolling at its Summer Meeting on Boxing Day and the following day. Tlat meeting did not show an increase, mainly because*' the public required educating, but it demonstrated very forcibly that the new mode was certain to prove popular jfrith the masses. The> next club to apply the system was the Stratford Racing Club at its New Year Meeting, and, with the same public to deal with, it was able to • produce an increase in turnover.; Even allowing that the' Stratford Club was fortunate in having good fields, this increase tended very definitely to show that. the public. had; been attracted to the new style.:'.

TEST AT TRENTHAM.

The real test of the system, however, came wheii the Wellington'"'Racing Club's Stewards decided to try out win-and-place betting at its Summer Meeting. Officials from all over the Dominion were present, and, although owing to lack of facilities there was a small aggregate decline in turnover, the system so clearly made out its case, that within three weeks afterwards almost every metropolitan club in the Dominion had decided to adopt it for coming meetings. Dunedin tried it out last week' with the remarkable result of a nearly 20 per cent, increase in turnover.' Christchurch will give it a. further test this week, and Auckland has adopted it for its Easter Meeting. •_ Those who • attended the recent Wellington Meeting need no telling how popular the new style was with the general public. - On the holiday the totalisator staff was unable fully-to cope with the demands made oh it,: otherwise the-aggre-gate turnover might, have approachedivery close to last year's. The appeal 'of four dividends, a races in such big .fields as are customary at Trentham is ■ immeasurably greater than that which was made by the old style, even though, as a moment's reflection will quickly peisuade, the public in the long run take no more away from the. course than they previously did. Since the _ Wellington Meeting several clubshave given the system further trials, and its popularity seems to advance almost in arithmetical progression as the public become better acquainted with it. Particularly during last week it has .resulted in substantial increases in turnover at three of the'four galloping meetings held.

WHAT FIGURES SHOW,

The following table gives the clubs that have to date used the win-and-place 6ysten_, with a comparison of this year's turnover with Ipst year's:— 1032. 1033. , - Old. W.-aiid-P. £ £ .Taranaki ' 23,272 21,808 Stratford . 29,388 _ . *30,174 Wellington .......... 103,103 94,447 Ashhurst 7,005 6,787 Napier Park ........... — 8 229 Wairoa 0,318 4,307 Egmont " .;...,........ 11,698-' "9,251 Matamata .......... I'O,G4G ,*II,OOO Taranaki . 17,351 *20,322 Poverty Bay S.S3G 7 257 Dunedin i 30,885 *36,122 Sotoru'a-' :......'• , 17.721 : *22 372 *Incrcaso recorded. Increases in turnovers, it will be observed from the table, have been on the whole the exception yet rather than the rule. During the last fortnight, however, four put of seven meetings have registered increases. At the other three the system did not have a fair test, as the fields were so small, as to provide three places in very, few events. The system works more satisfactorily naturally when there are enough runners (i.e., eight; or over) to allow three place dividends. . While these clubs have been applying the new style, other clubs have continued to use the old system, especially during the Christmas and New Year holiday period, and with only an odd exception (due to such fortuitous circumstances as much better weather) these clubs have continued to record decreases in turnover. Practically all clubs now, however, are using win-and-place betting. _ As a final point it may be noted that the stewards of the Wellington Racing JJub are at present assiduously considering improvements in investment facilities bnd tie registering of the pool totals at ffrentham, and before long the Wellington public may hope to have the most up-to-date-win-and-place totalisator in' "the Dotamion.. The^ changes that are proposed cannot be effected before the Autumn .Meeting next month, but they will almost certainly be-completed before the Winter Meeting. Then the, public will be able I *o do all their betting at each and every totalisator house, and-they will be able to I pee both pool totals being registered! from the one-point of vantage. :