NEARLY THIRD DOWN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 199, 6 August 1931, Page 2

NEARLY THIRD DOWN

TOTALISATOR TURNOVERS. THE SEASON IN REVIEW. The curtain has been dropped on the 1930-31 racing season, which opened with the clouds of depression black on the horizon and has closed with the rolling masses even more foreboding than they were twelve months ago. The latter part of the season saw no. pause in the diminution of totalisator turnovers and cut-ting-down of stakes, and only the fondly optimistic profess yet to note signs of brightness on the horizon’s rim.

It was earlier revealed that the first eight months of the racing year showed a falling-off of £1,156,857 In totalisator receipts, exclusive of the decrease in trotting turnovers. Figures now compiled by the southern writer, “Sundridge,” show a total drop of £1,593,809 in receipts for the full season, the decline being £831,537 for city courses and £762,272 for country courses. The figures are given as follows:—

Totals £3,583,841 £5,177,650 £1,593,809 •Represents increase. In these totals, the city clubs (those that have raced on tho courses asso-

ciated with the four chief centres, together with the Takapuna, Avondale, Wanganui, Manawatu and Invercargill Clubs) have contributed £2,031,352 and £2,862,889 in the respective seasons, and the country clubs £1,552,489 and £2,314,761. wRATIO OF DECLINE. For the season, the percentage decrease in receipts is 30.3. The deficiency of city areas is 29.0, and of the country districts 32.7. These percentages four months ago, and prior to the Easter racing, were respectively 30.9, 29.8, and 32.4, so that over the autumn and winter periods, the falling-off has been in a fairly constant ratio. It was natural that the smaller clubs should be the greater sufferers, but in view of the whole circumstances, they have not come out so badly as many feared. The table, comments “Sundridge,” makes lugubrious reading. To prevent the position from drifting from bad to worse immediate action is requir cd, but it does not follow that improvement would at onco be discernible. All over the country, clubs big and small have been presenting to their members balance-sheets revealing substantial losses on the season’s work and, as a consequence, itnkes will be substantially reduced for the next year or two. Breeders and owners have shown their attitude towards the times by allowing their January yearlings to meet the market and by sales of good performers at prices that two years ago would" have been commanded by very average horses. It seems, indeed, that horse values are already at bedrock, and even lower than is justified by the size of the stakes now offering.

1930-31. 1929-30. Decline. Month. £ £ £ August 218,863 267,613 48,750 Sept. 152,931 209,213 56,282 October 337,827 451,887 114,060 136,878 November 385,338 522,216 Decembci’ 390,253 575,783 January 651,098 832,919 181,821 February 237,297 451,329 214,032 March 213,992 433,526 219,534 April 418,343 728,123 309,780 May 169,976 163,146 *6,830 June 25.1,994 343,885 91,891 July 155,929 198,010 42,081