IRISH SWEEP STAKE

Hokitika Guardian, 8 December 1934, Page 8

IRISH SWEEP STAKE

CAMBRIDGESHIRE DRAW

TWO NEW ZEALAND WINNERS

LONDON, December 1. Viscount Powerscourt, chairman of the Associated Hospitals Committee, announced at the opening of the draw for the Cambridgeshire that the sweep was the third biggest ever held in Dub. lin. The total proceeds were £3,234,619, and the prize fund was £2.901,193. “I was much disgusted,” Lord Powerscourt said, ‘‘to read that the Home Secretary of England thought it necessary at Glasgow to describe the sweepstake as ‘Nothing more dishonest.’“There can be very little excuse for such a statement, as he must know that our slate is perfectly clean. There does not seem anything to explain liis attitude except jealousy.” It was true that the Government had instructed them to hold up the money for the, hospitals. But when the commission | •appointed to examine the whole ques-. ( tion of hospitals for the country and to see tliat tiie money was spent wisely had reported, or when a certain sum had been reached, the money would be released and paid solely to the hospitals. The chairman said that this tinm there were 20 first prizes of £30,000,' 20 second prizes of 15,000, and 20 third prizes of 10,000. The holde s of. tire 87 other horses, which were not j in tho first three on Wednesday, will receive £402 6s, and there were 2000 j ‘cash prizes of £IOO. The balance j Of £il9& was divided into 10 lesidual I prizes of £ll9 6s each. Tbe total of sellers’ prizes came to £83,500. I An analysis of .the total cash prizes I —2OO in all—showed that Britain se-. 1 cured 1012; the United States, 587; Irish Free State, 312; South Africa, 69; India.4s; Canada, 415 Northern Ireland, 23 ; France, 14; and the rest of the world, 66. A remarkable coincidence marked, the completion of the draw '-of the. tickets for horses. The last of these bo come out of the drum bore the nom de plume ‘‘Last Ticket.” ‘‘lt is the strangest thing I 'have struck for a long time,” ■ said Mr O’Sheehan in announcing it. “Ajax,” No. 7 Depot, Mornington,. New Zealand, drew a non-runner called Bengal 11. , “Lucky Star,” New Plymouth, drew Andrea, another non-run-ner. Each has 1 won £402 Bd. A ticket which drew Pegomas (a non-, runner) under the name ,of “Manni,” care of Miss Myrtle Reynolds, 19 Ann Street, is held bv Miss Reynolds, who has been in England since January in a nursing appo;ntment at Epsom, arid previously held a similar appointment in New Zealand.