RECORD DIVIDEND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23273, 16 February 1939, Page 12

RECORD DIVIDEND

TROTTING SURPRISE LAST RACE OF MEETING SUCCESS OF OUTSIDER The largest dividend over returned at Alexandra Park, Epsom, was paid by Cyrano, winner of the last race, the Richmond Handicap, at the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting yesterday. All patrons of trotting in Auckland will remember —a very few with peculiar satisfactiorl the meeting which opened last Saturday and concluded yesterday. From the 16 races, no fewer than five win dividends were of doublefigure dimensions, and that paid by Cyrano was nearly a century and a-quarter. Incidents on First Day There was excitement enough on Saturday when Stargum's dividend of nearly a quarter of a century in the Mount Albert Handicap was followed by the declaration of a return of just under a third of a century by Sir Frank in the Papakura Handicap, with which the first day's racing concluded, but there were very few indeed to bask in the envious gaze of those who remained to witness the pay-out of the lucky holders of tickets on Cyrano, who also gave a substantial: double-figure dividend for a place. He was supported to the extent of £l3 to win and £39 10s for a place. Among those who participated was a young man who had invested £1 each way and was paid not far short of £l5O. However, the connections of the horse were not so confident, one of the owners having lesst than a half-ticket, while the trainer, S. M. August, did not support his charge, whose form in finishing eighth in the Mount Albert Handicap on Saturday was not considered at all encouraging. Other Canes Recalled August had a similar exasperating experience nearly two years ago at Hutt Park, when Queenie Direct won the Taiti Novice Handicap as the outsider of the field, as was Cyrano, and paid close on four score from the win pool. These incidents recall the case of Lady Irving, whose success at the Auckland Trotting Club's autumn meeting in 1923 was productive of a dividend of close on a century under the single pool system. More recently, in May, 1937, Tangaroa returned a record place dividend of nearly a century when he finished third in the Introductory Handicap at the Waikato Trotting Club's meeting. Over £3OO was paid by Unworthy when he won the Opunake Handicap at Hawera nearly two years age. Five ten-shilling tickets were held on him, these being held mostly by members of the owner's family. Unworthy's dividend stands as the most sensational in the trotting world siince the day when the grey mare, Wairoa Belle, with only one ticket on her chance, won at Nelson in 1920 and paid over £IOOO.