TROTTING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 11, 24 December 1925, Page 15

TROTTING.

SYDNEY TROTTING ENTHUSIAST. PRAISES SPORT IN NEW ZEALAND PLUMPS FOR TOTALISATOR. “When you think that Auckland, with a population of about 700,000 less than Sydney can give a Trotting Cup worth £2200, and that on every programme of the metropolitan clubs there is a handicap worth £lOOO, while no race at Epsom has stake money less than £3OO, it is astounding, and in my opinion leaves no doubt about New Zealand being the greatest trotting country in the world.” This was a remark made by Mr. R. C. Simpson, a well-known breeder of trotting horses in New South Wales, who arrived at Auckland last week with a team of five horses to compete at trotting meetings in the Dominion. Tt is quite apparent from their performances in the Dominion that the animals in Australia are quite the equal of those bred in New Zealand and • this being so it is astonishing'that the sport does not. make the same progress in the Commonwealth that it does here. THE REASON WHY. When asked by a “Star” representative if he could give the reason. Mr. Simpson said m his opinion the sport would never get on the looting it deserved while the bookmakers controlled the betting. “Of course, the bookmakers will tell you that they make, no money, but they live pretty well, .smoke the best cigars, and havo fine cars to run about in. In New Zealand all the betting is done on the tote, ami anything charged the public lor the privilege of betting comes back in stakes or improvements to the clubs’ property. The owners or the public get the benefit all the time, so much so that to-day at Alexandra Park and at Addington big prizes are offered to owners, while the stands and general comfort provided the public are not better in any part of the world. That is the result of the totalisator. With the bookmaker he keeps what he makes —he doesn’t give it back in stakes or erect a fine grandstand—rand whau he makes is gone. Clf’vilGES TOO HIGH. “The sport in Sydney is too expensive,” added Mr. Simpson. “No sport can grow without the support of the general public, but you cannot expect people w pay 15/- to get into the paddock and 2/- extra for admission to the birdcage. Before you start off it costs you just on £l. It is not to be wondered at that they don’t get the thousands of people you see here in your country, it costs 1/6 entrance to the outside at Alexandra Park, and you get a fine view of the race. You have a stand at Alexandra Park where 1 understand the admission is 2/6 for men and 110 charge is made for ladies. No wonder the snort is growing, because 1 don’t know a place in the world where the public gets such treatment THE TRACKS. . “The conditions which trainers in New Zealand enjoy are as nearly perfect as they will over be. Not only have you fine tracks to train and race on, but they are free and given every possible attention. In Sydney in wet weather the training track is closed, and there is no jogging track, so that all a trainer can do when the weather is wot is exercise his horse on the | roads. Yqut tracks are well graded and given every attention, and so far 1 as I can see there is not a loophole for complaint. My opinion is that Lhe Epping track is dangerous, and under • the present conditions they will never see a horse with extreme speed racing there. When 1 say extreme sliced I mean the two-minute horse, which is bound to come in New Zealand.”