WELLINGTON'S SEASON BETTER YEAR THAN LAST

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 23

WELLINGTON'S SEASON

BETTER YEAR THAN LAST

iNCREASE IN TURNOVERS

Last week's meeting at Trenthairi completed the. 1933-34 season so fay as the Wellington Racing Club is concerned, and it ia now possible to review the operations of the club during the season and to- observe how the/ results compare with other recently, past .seasons. The season has been definitely a more successful one than either of the preceding two, and, although the mean of three years ago was not reached, the progressive march back to increased turnovers : is a most satisfactory and encouraging feature.

The club this season has raced on one more day than it has previously, but even without this extra day the aggregate'turnover would have been, weir in advance of the last two seasons/ The additional day was held in the ispring, the club, taking over one of the Masterton Racing) Club's days and making the opening meeting of the term a three-day fixture. The club ■wag rather, diffident about doing so, as the time did not. appear, to be too opportune for,increasing days, but the venture proved successful, and there will how probably always be three days' racing in.the spring .at Trentham in the future. THE SEASON'S MEETINGS. The club started off the present season with, a satisfactory turnover of £81,214 10s in October, the extra day (the first) yielding £18,915 of this sum, for the per diem average was neai'ly £7000 better than the previous October, despite the fact;,that- a'Thursday, ' Saturday, arid Labour Day;* (Monday) , had: to. ;be com-, pared; ;agafistr a. --Saturday and, -Labour Day twelve months earlier. On both the Saturday and 'Labours Day r the /turnover was up;: theiincrease:"on the lioliday being £17,114; more"; than^SO1 per. cent '".- The Summer Meeting, aided by an exceptionally successful final day, was also nn improvement on last season, these two meetings being r th6 first at .which, the Avin-and-place system of betting could be compared '.with itself.. The Anniversary Day turnover was "onlyl a few pounds better than oil. the previous-, two years, but the third day provided a' £12,210 10s increase on the corresponding day of last year. The Autumn Meeting -was the only fixture during the season at which a decrease was recorded. It is not easy to place the reason, as the club was favoured with ideal weather, but possibly it lies in the facfc that the wiu-and-plaee betting system was at the zenith of its initial phase of popularity in the autumn of last year but was' near the nadir of the swing^way in opinion last March.; The investments held their «wn fairly' well on St. Pat--1 rick's Bay, but dropped on the other day. The Winter Meeting which concluded last weefc^migHt have followed-in the suit of \the. Autumn-Meeting-had the second splendid rrecoyeryiduring-.the-season not been \ made on the final day.; The'turn-oveif-was1 dowiii nearly ■>■ £9000 :6n -the; two iirstvidays,-,-:but,> all;this' and' £2910;V10s inore'.was.recbyeredioh the;lastVday..:?The comparison. .befrsveep.-days: \ at this'meeting was noV quite'.'satisfactoryf as' the, first tw;6 days last year were fine .and the last very-wet, whereas: exactly the reverse happened this year. The club's officials -ivere; always dptimistie'about last week's result, as theyjrealised that»there -must under ordinary circumstances be a fairly substantial lift on the concluding day. V RECORD OF TURNOVERS. The following table shows in summary form, the betting at the various meetings during the last .three seasons, with a per diem..; average appended ■because d£ the extra, day on. this year's calendar:— ' . ~:'■ .-. ?:1931-32 1932-33 1933-31 ■"". -- :;■•• '■:■: '■*■: ■;-:&■ ■---&:■ ..-■-.-_■ s •Spring • ;.. -..61,457 40,38G% 81,214% Summer ;. 103,193 84,141 y- 110;036VAutumn .. 42,491 eS.eSSI,^ 55,054i,i , Winter ... 60.65S 50,094 83,604% Totals . V-. £276,829 £278,577% £332,910 ' Per'diem..-.. ■ ..■.-.-■/.■ -. " i ..-. -.-' -. aTOraga ;£27,653 £27,55S £30,265 'Extra day. at this season's Sprln'c Meeting. The pay diem average in the 1931-32 season, which concluded one meeting before .the Wellington .stewards, changed the system, of betting, ; at Trentham,..apparently struck the bottom of the depression. The previous; eeasoh (1930-31) the average was £36,238, "ahtf still a season "earlier it was £56,793; : The 1931-32 season\was generally/ the -worst for .all clubs during the crisis of the last few years, for since then the trend,;though not always too obvious, ■ seems to have been moving back fairly definitely again towards better days. The^Wellington Club; as already noted, is to continue the extra, day at the Spring Meeting; drirjng the coming season, and there is .-reason toj anticipate that the' additional ;eyents.-the club .is thus now : .ehable'd/-to put on; such' as a "three-year-old classicl-in the nature, of a' Derby • trial, will steadily grow^'in popularity both witb.v'o-^ners'arid-the public; -The spring dates; willVbe -Saturday, -Monday, an( Wednesday, October 20, 22, and "24, the dates. January, 22, .24, and,26, the • autumn dates March 16 and IS, and the winter dates/ July 9, 11, and 13. These dates should meet, with general satisfaction, and the club may look forward with equanimity to even: better results in the new season than rit enjoyed, during the present. ■ .'■; "•.■'. !-