BETTING SOARS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22612, 28 December 1936, Page 8

BETTING SOARS

BOXING DAY FIGURES totalisator investments ALL-ROUND INCREASE SHOWN OVER £102,000 AT ELLERSLIE Soaring totalisator investments were a feature of racing and trotting meetings throughout New Zealand on Boxing Day. At the six race meetings and four trotting meetings the investments totalled £254,871 compared with £189,763 for the same meetings on Boxing Day last year an increase of £65,108. With a magnificent holiday crowd of 38,000 in attendance at Ellerslie, the totalisator at the first day of the Auckland Pacing Club's Summer Meeting handled £102,798, the first occasion since Boxing Day, 1929, when investments have exceeded £IOO,OOO. The 1929 figure was £121,417, but the outstanding year as far as Auckland racing is concerned was probably 1920, when a crowd of 45,000 at Ellerslie was responsible for putting £154,188 10s through the totalisator. Details of Investments Details of the Boxing Day invest, ments this year, compared with those of last year, are as follows: 1935 1936 .Racing— £ £ Auckland .. 76,928% 102,798 Manawatu .. 25,227 38,143% Taranaki .. 15,759 20,161 Dunedin .. 17,721 19,433 Westland .. 5,(480% 5,698* "Waipukurau .. 4,844% 8,136% Trotting— Ashburton .. 21,751 31,682 Gore .. 12,936% 16,235% "Wairarapa .. 3,375 4,541 "Westport .. 5,234 7,736% Totals .. 189,7<>3 254,871 •Seven races this year as against eight lart year. Totalisator investments are always regarded as a fairly accurate financial barometer for registering the economic condition of the country. That being the case, the reading at present seems to indicate definitely that the depression has finally passed over New Zealand and that conditions, from the financial point of view, may even be described as "fair and warmer." Increase at Smaller Clubs One of the most notable points regarding this year's figures is the increase recorded in the case of some of the smaller clubs. An addition of over £25,000 in Auckland is certainly remarkable, but at Waipukurau and Westport the percentage increases were even greater, the advance at Waipukurau representing nearly 70 per cent. The investments at Ashburton constituted a record for the club. The scene in front of the totalisator at Ellerslie on Saturday proved beyond doubt that money is again circulating with the velocity usually associated with good times. Every window was open and the totalisator staff worked frantically to register bets by the thousand. Queues stretched for yards from each ticket window and the rush to place bets was so great that it was impossible to adhere strictly to the programme times for the various races. This in itself is an unusual experience at Ellerslie.

With it all, the public was in happy mood and it is confidently predicted that the advance recorded on Saturday will be maintained throughout the coming week's turf carnival.