AUCKLAND RACING CARNIVAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13370, 27 December 1906, Page 6

AUCKLAND RACING CARNIVAL.

THE SUMMER MEETING.

MASTER DELAY XL WINS

THE cur.

ATTENDANCE A RECORD. A peefect day for the races?: bright sunshine, tempered by art agreeably cool breeze; a. fair sky, with streaks of diaphanous cloud above, and the broad, refreshingly green and sweetly-scented turf underfoot. The lawn at- Ellersiie yesterday was like a moving garden. a fluwci garden filled with great, showy blooms, swayed by the breeze, which is '"another way"— as the cookery books- say—of describing the. ladies, who appeared in all the glory of sum-, mer costumes, and carrying parasols of every eye-arresting hue. What would the j lawn look, well-kept, carpet-like sward as it is, without the splashes of strong colon imparted to it by the gay toilettes which one is accustomed to look for at a big metropolitan meeting in the most opulent mouths of the year? The male writer who ventures on a description of the dresses at a meeting of any sort at Which ladies are present in numbers skates upon ice marked

"dangerous." In vague, vapid generalities he may attempt something, but generalities are unacceptable to people of Teutonic origin, who want precision in all things, and will not be happy until they get it—ergo the dresses will he described in detail in their proper place.

Out from the area hallowed by the payment of half-a-sovereign one may see the biggest, and, in some respects, the merriest crowd after all. Here are the "pl^bs."— if possession of material wealth is the qualification for patricianship. Here, then, in the glare of the sun, on the pounded shell and the yielding asphalt of the "ring, or in the grateful shade of the pines on the hill; or, again, on the inside of the course, where the turf is sweet-smelling and cool to the feet, one may see the hoi polloi of a race meeting, but absolutely free from the objectionable features and rowdyism of a big meeting at Home or in parts of Australia. One saw it at its best yesterday a lively, enthusiastic and obviously well-to-do crowd. But how many were out to see the races as races'' How many were there for sport and sport alone- How many were there who had not gone out to bow down to the calf of gold? An official of the race club confided to the writer that at least 50 per cent 01 the people present at Ellerslic were there with the sol© intention (which they adhered to all day) of not spending a penny in speculation on the races, and of really seeing a trial of speed between the noblest of beasts in creation— and nothing more. " Ten per cent, of true sports would be nearer the mark," ventured another authority, who ought to be a judge of men and the things of men. And yet, who knows ;■ who can tell? AROUND THE MACHINES. It might be thought the amount of money invested in the totalisator, when compared with the attendance, would furnish an index of the sporting proclivities as distinguished from the pecuniary interests of the crowd; but this is not the case, for if one takes the trouble to stand at the totalisator entrances he will notice pretty well the same people going up to invest on every race. They consist, of all sorts and conditions of men ; and, it might be added, of all colours also, for one of the most stiking facts in connection with the investors is the comparatively large number of men of colour Maoris, Chinamen, nondescript dark men (kanakas), and here and there a negroid face is to be seen, or a Goa Portuguese— who, by some strange eddy in the stream of circumstances, finds' himself washed down in to the southern seas, far, far from his native coast of Malabar. To stand for a few minutes at the entrance to the totalisator* is a psychological experience well worth the vexation of the dust and the distracting hubbub of voices. There were 12 machines in operation yesterday, and seven of these were at the disposal of investors of 10s ; the rest were for £1 speculators. .Seventy men were employed in connection with the totalisators, and Mr. Harry Hayr was the director. The club made extra special provision for the patrons of the '* tote '' at this meeting, but still it was barely adequate. The crowd rushed through the narrow gangways like mountain water in a flume ; they turned over a ticket box, clerk and all, in their impetuous haste to (usually) put money into other people's pockets. The staff kept cool enough, although they had the utmost difficulty in dealing with the crowd.

" Seven—one ; twoeight; —five," which is to say " one ticket on horse number seven," and so on. Some' people take two. three, four, five, or more tickets on one horse; other* take one each on six or seven hoises. Ladies appear at the totalisator windows along with the men; but not in very large numbers. The clerks make up for any want of gallantry on the part of the male patrons by serving ladies first— if they get the chance.

Whatever excitement prevails outside, let the crowd singe around the gangways as it may. complete coolness obtains within. The tolalisutor staff is as well disciplined and well organised as a body of bank clerks— in fact, the impression one gets behind the scenes is that the successful, well-managed totalisator department of a big race club resembles a combination of a telegraph office and a bank. Every clerk employed knows his place and his duty. The assistant at the paying wickets has his pile of notes, gold, and silver. He knows what he receives from the cashier, and the tickets he takes are receipts for his disbursements. -'Ring off" is shouted down the long room behind the machine?, and the tinkling of the gongs stops instantly. The numbers showing are all brought round to nought. Then comes the order, 'Pay out." Up go the wickets, revealing rows of exceedingly varied faces, the visage of a barrister followed by that of a Chinaman, of a policeman (in plain clothes), a printer, a Dalmatian gumdigger, a butcher, a Maori, a seaman, appear at the wickets; all different, but all with one common desire—to exchange a slip of pasteboard for coin of the realm. _There were petitions for the retention of the totalisator presented during the day, and thousands of signatures were attached. ' THE VISITORS. Among the visitors to be seen on the stand were the Hon. J. A. Miliar, Messrs. Whittingham and Bayley (Victoria), Harvey Patterson (owner "of Menschikoff) O'Shea (Queensland;, A. E. Whvte (secretary Wellington Jockey Club), N. King and M. Mills (New Plymouth), and Messrs' E. W. Alison, A. Kidd, and F. Lawrv! M.H.R's., were also present. It is estimated by those who have had some years' ! experience of crowds at Elierslie that the ! attendance exceeded that of any previous Auckland Cup day. THE TOTALISATOR. It was a popular prediction that with fine weather there would be a fresh totalisator record, and this was borne out the sum of £26,221 being handled in coo' nection " with the eight events which formed the programme, which represents an increase of £977 i, compared with last year