BOOKMAKER V. TOTALISATOR.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1290, 19 November 1896, Page 26

BOOKMAKER V. TOTALISATOR.

We take the following from a Southern paper

Probably to most readers the proceedings at a racing conference are of the dry-as-dust order, but now and again some point of real live interest will crop up. This was the case last night. A deputation of “ bookies ” waited on tho Conference to plead for permission to ply their vocation on the racecourses. As was to have been anticipated, tho request was refused, and in the course of the discussion it was pointed out that tho speculative public secure far greater advantages by the medium of the totalisator than was tho case under the old system of straight-out betting. By way of illustration, tho secretary to tho conference had analysed the Cup race that was run on Monday. In that event there 17 starters, and there were 0519 totalisator investors. Lady Zetland won tho race, and the dividend paid was £9 2s. Now, supposing that some other horse had won, wh.it would the dividend have been, tak-

ing the investments as they were actually recorded? The secretary figures it out as under, and it will he seen at a glance that many of the “ odds ” were such as no ” bookie ” could very well afford to lay : _£ s. cl. Euroclydon ... ... ... J 1!) 0 Epaulet ... ... ... 7 S 0 Lady Zetland ... ... 9 2 0 Culverin 12 19 0 Fabulist ... ... ... 14 1 G Tho Possible ... ... 1G G 0 Voltigour ... ... ... 19 10 0 Captive ... ... ... 23 17 0 Defiance ... ... ... 28 5 0 Ngatuere ... ... ... 21 11 0 Quiltiri ... ... ... 33 14 0 Lotion ... ... ... 37 15 0 Bollicent ... ... ... 40 5 0 Mahaki ... ... ... 50 2 G Tho Shrew ... ... ... 04 3 0 Black and Rod 73 13 0 Casket ... ... ... 82 1G 0

Mr Michael Travers, one of the county roadmen in the YVirokino riding, Manawatu, drew Tho Skipper, the third horse in the Melbourne Cup, in Tattorsall’s pound sweep. This means <£2250 for Mr Travers, who, up to this last turn of Fortune’s wheel, says an exchange, was a hard working man, struggling like thousands of others, to rear a large family. Earshot and Douglas have arrived from Hastings in connection with tho Exhibition Meeting.