SYSTEMS OF BETTING-

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 8, 10 July 1934, Page 4

SYSTEMS OF BETTING-

WIN-AND-PLACE DEFENDED

The issue over systems of- belting will probably always.remain to a degree'controversial, and therefore it is interesting to have both viewpoints. A defence of the win-and-place mode, in reply to the Wanganui correspondent "Racegoer's" challenge published on Saturday, is made by another correspondent "Trentham For Ever," who writes as follows:— "As a; follower of racing I wish to state my opinion of the win-and-place system of betting and to,give what I believe are its advantages over the old system. As I have been to quite a few meetings lately I think ;that I should know what system is the. best for me. "The only excuse the 75-25 better has in my opinion is that he gets two chances of collecting a dividend on one ticket, a system all right in the good old days wheu. money was plentiful but not nowadays when conditions- are much changed. I will quote a few prices one'received for an outlay of £1 at the recent -trotting meeting held at Auckland under the old system. The best dividend the first day for first-was £3 Bs, and the best for a second was 19s 6d, which meant that one last, money backing the second horses in every race. ■ Even the horse that paid the best dividend for first .would have paid only £1 2s 6d for'second. In my opinion one was buying money, and I do not think that I was the only one that thought so, judging by the big drop of £10,000 registered on the second day. "I will now mention, as another example, what collectors received for dividends on the first day of the recent Waikato and the, Great Northern "Meetings. The sum of £116 os (3d was paid out to place betters for eight races at Waikato, one being a division race. There was only one race' that bad two place dividends, a field of seven, which made .a total of 23 'places;' an average of £5 Is. There were eight win prices averaging £6- 2s, a .total of ..£4B 16s. The^ first day at Auckland'the. eight winners averaged £4 15s (also a division race), a total of £38. Just'compare these prices. I know which system"l prefer. - . '■• ' "The above, figures do not make me think that the win-and-place is very popular with those, illegal gentlemen that 'Racegoer'; mentions. As a matter of fact, when I was'";invHasthigs for the recent meeting I heard.'that the bbokmakers there were deducting .=25 per . cent, off win-and-place prices, and quite a few ;of them were not in the least keen to take 'place.bets. Why? -Was it because^ there were more chances of, paying out? .. " 'Racegoer' suggests that a vote should be taken on the final day at Trentham. "Well";;I totally disagree with him. I.think that-the win-and-place has not been going long" "enough-.for tlie;Majority, to have formed-.-a definite opinion.- Let us wait another-'Couplei of years and then have avote'.. myself;, I think '-that the WelliiigtOnJßacing' Club is the most gtfahead' club "in" New Zealand,' and I wish it a successful meeting. more 'point. Did1 the Auckland Racing Club refuse the Takapuua Club permission to race on Ellerslie because that club '.was.going to-use the win-and-plaee system.-against the Auckland Racing Club's 75-25 system? I wonder.' I could t.ake.up. a lot'more of your space defending', the win-and-place system, but T think I have, aired .at' least one punter's opinion:" ' ;' . ' '.The statements given as facts in. the above letter have not been verified, but they may tentatively be accepted as illustrating ;thei argument advanced. It may be pointed out, however, that the amounts of dividends at various meetings mean little,as they depend necessarily on the order of favouritism of the placed horses. It is, possible that the dividends under any system at a small-' country meeting could, be macKr. greater than at an important metropolitan meeting, if all the winners were little-fancied runners. The public as a. whole benefit (or suffer perhaps is the better term) identically under whatever system is operating, for in gross they receive back only the same percentage of their"aggregate investments, the balance going to the clubs concerned and the Government. If one man therefore gains something someone else must lose. Neither system-'makes-the money go a fartliing fur-ther-than 'gross investments less deductions;' It may also be pointed out, with reference to the Auckland Trotting Meeting ;.Quoted, that this fixture had to be postponed on account of rain and the second clay this year (a Wednesday) was compared'with a Saturday last year. On the first day (which "Trentham For Ever" doeauot mention as it would not suit his arguments there was a fairly substantial increase in turnover. . Particular figures iii any case are useless to. prove, a general, "Ttangatira." ■ . ''.."