BETTING IMPROVEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21273, 29 August 1932, Page 10

BETTING IMPROVEMENT

TOTALISATOR INVESTMENTS BRISK BUSINESS AT EPSOM FINE WEATHER A FACTOR DECREASE OF ONLY £4Ol An unexpectedly largo totalisator turnover formed an outstanding feature of the Auckland trotting mooting on Saturday. Tho investments amounted to £21,164, which represents a dccreaso of only £4Ol 10s, or 1.8 per cent, on last year's figures, £21,565 10s. This is tho best comparative result that has been recorded at any racing or trotting meeting in tho Auckland Province for at least two years, with the exception of the To Aroha Trotting Club, which last April showed an increase of £9O owing to tho fact that in tho preceding year the meeting clashed with that of the Franklin Racing Club. Meetings of country clubs on city courses are also excepted. Tho totalisator is regarded as a fairly reliable financial barometer, and Saturday's good result, following closely upon the success of the Pakuranga Hunt race meeting at Ellerslio tho week before, is considered "very encouraging. The Pakuranga turnover was £20,337, compared with £22,420 a year ago, a decrease of 9 per cent, which is very much less than tho averago drop recorded throughout last season and the season before. Both tho trotting club and the hunt club had everything in tbeir favour as regards fine weather, which attracted large attendances. Ono of tho heaviest decreases last season, 46 per cent at the Avondrio spring meeting, was to a largo extent due to very bad weather, and there were other instances whero rain affected tho totalisator returns. Largo dividends have also been an adverse factor on occasions. On Saturday there was a succession of victories by well-fancied horses, with the result that the money was kept in circulation, and at the end of seven races the investments actually showed an increase on last year. It was the last race, usually the best betting ono of the day, that caused tho decrease. Tho reason was that the race was generally considered to be at the mercy of a horse which had won earlier, and investors, who proved to be correct in their judgment, did not bet freely on the other runners. Tho five shillings totalisator, which has become a popular feature in tho outside enclosure at Epsom, was very heavily patronised. At tho Otago Hunt Club's meeting at Wingatui on Saturday the totalisator handled £BBIB, an increase of £2751 compared with last year, when there was a snowstorm during the first race. On the other hand, investments at the Taranaki Hunt Club's meeting at New Plymouth amounted to £4701, a decrease of £2015.