THE TOTALISATOR AND RACING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVI, Issue 2274, 2 August 1894, Page 4

THE TOTALISATOR AND RACING.

THE FRINGE OF HANDIOAPPEES INTERVIEWED. Knowing that Wanganui boasts, and with good reason, of its racecourse, its Jockey Club, and its position generally, as a sporting centre, it struck me tliat the opinions of Mr “ Joe " Henry, the leading handicapper in the Colony, would be of some interest to your readers. It will .be seen that the questions all centre round the machine, and deal with its effects from a point of view that not many in the community take. His living may be said to depend on the machine to a great extent, but in answering me I must acknowledge that he showed a great desire to be independent of grosser considerations than mere salary as a handicapper. In order that the information given by Mr Henry may be put forward in as intelligent a manner as possible the question and answer form has been adopted, and the reader wi'l kindly imagine himself, or herself, in the waiting room at the house while Mr Henry gets through a cup of coffee and answers questions. Has the totalisator in your opinion had a beneficial effect on racing ?

Yes. Have you imy figures to prove that it has ? , , . I have not, but I need only refer to the splendid appointments of every club that has used the totalisator. It has enabled them to erect buildings for the comfort of the public, owners, trainers, jockeys, and the horses; it has enabled them to make their racecourses almost as level as howling greens, and lastly there is the large increase in the stakes which are more than treble the amount given prior to the machine being legalised. Would the abolition of the totalisator tend to do away with the majority of meetings? , I am of opinion that _ there would be as many meetings if not more, because the majority of clubs have acquired all the opportunity they desire, they would reduce the amount of stakes which they are at present compelled to give in order to gain a permit, and probably they would have more meetings, the owners would bo the sufferers, the nomination and acceptance fees would be doubled, and the revenue which the clubs at present derive and which enable them to give large prizes would go to fill the pockets of the bookmakers. What do you think of Sir Robert Stout’s Bill to reduce the meetings by one third ? .... I am of the opinion that it will cause no end of dissatisfaction; when the time arrives for the, reduction, between the racing clubs themselves, and also between the racing and trotting clubs. I quite agree that there should be a reduction in the number of days’ racing; it will tend to improve racing generally, and enable the clubs to give a larger amount in stakes. To my mind’a much better way of reducing the race meetings would be to have a stake limit, similar to what at present exists, but to make it more stringent, and not allow any club to hold more than seven days’ racing in one year, and grant no licenses to proprietary clubs, and compel the trotting clubs to give the same amount in stakes as racing clubs. Licenses only to be granted under the following conditions :—(1) Any club holding one day’s racing in the year, must give a sum of not less than Ll6O per diem; (2) Any club -holding two days' racing in the year must give a sum of not loss than L3OO per diem; (3) Any club holding three days’ racing in the year to give not less than LSOO per diem; (4) Any club holding four days’ racing in the year to give not less than L6OO per diem; (5) Any club holding five days’ racing in the year to give not less than LBOO .per diem ; (6) Any club holding six days’ racing m the year to give. not less than LIOOO per diem; (7) Any club, holding seven days racing in the year -to give not less than . LI2OO *per diem'. ■ . , It Sir Robert "Stout’s Bill is carried, which clubs will it affect most? Auckland, Dunedin, Napier Park, Monawatu, Fending, Egmont, Eangitikei, Takapuna, and others of similar standing. So far as your knowledge goes has the machine led to many meetings being got up for “ tote “ money alone? —As far as X know there are but very few race meetings got up for that purpose. I handicap for over twenty clubs, the majority of which are country clubs, and I can safely say not a single one of them have been formed with that object in view ; the only clubs which exist for that purpose are the proprietary ones, of which there are but few. . . Has the totalisator led to any large increase in betting ? —Betting has increased and so has the population, but I would like to point out to those that are opposed to it, that the public who invest on the totalisator do it of their own free will, they are not asked by the totalisator proprietors or the servants of the club to go and back horses. It is hardly necessary for me to say that it is quite the reverse with the bookmakers, a very strong argument in favour of the machine. How does racing here compare with the same sport in colonies where the totalisator does not exist ? what I can learn we have far fewer meetings, and the racing’on the whole is more genuine. Would it be better to leave the control of totalisator permits to metropolitan clubs rather than the Colonial Secretary ? The Colonial Secretary should issue them, but in the event of a New Zealand Jockey Club being formed, the licenses should be issued by that body. . . . Has the totalisator in your opinion benefited the breeding of racehorses ?—Up to the present I do not think it has affected either one way or the other, but I do honestly believe that if the majority of racing clubs in the Colony will insist * on cutting down the distances of races in order to get large fields so as to increase the profits of the club, it will greatly affect the breeding of horses generally. Almost any horse can gallop half a mile with little or-no training, but it requires a good horse with both stamina and condition to win a two-mile race. When a handicap is compiled for a two-mile race it is always asserted that there are but few stayers in the race; the reason of this is simply that there are only five long races run in New Zealand during the season, viz,, Canterbury, New Zealand, Auckland, and Dunedin Cups and the Egmont Handicap. The first-named is the only weight-for-age race over a long course in which the three-year-olds have all the best of it and undoubtedly win. It will thus be seen that there can only be five winners of long races during the season and these horses are the only ones that are termed genuine stayers. It only requires a number of races to be increased to a distance of two miles, and we would then have plenty of horses that could stay the distance. The above alteration, I feel, will never come into force until a New Zealand Jockey Club is formed. This tribunal could then frame rules to compel every club tc have at least one race on the flat of two miles in each day’s racing, and not more than one event of less than a mile (two-year-olds excepted) ; and weight-for-age races, which are becoming a thing o£ the past with, all the clubs excepting Canterbury, Auckland and Dunedin—and the two latter have but very few races of that class——should-be more encouraged. At present it- appears to be simply a fight between the majority of the clubs to see which can come out at the end of the season with the largest profit. So the sooner the increase in . sprint races is put a stop to the better for everyone connected with the turf. The jockeys, in place of improving in their riding, are gradually getting worse, principally owing to short races. Owners’ instructions are to get well away and keep in-the front division until the winning post is reached, and what do we find but that horse and rider , are beaten long before they catch the judge’s eye ? Which do you find the most useful kind of horse, those that compete in hurdle and steeplechase races or those that run on the flat ?—The former. In my opinion the prize money for jumping events is far too small throughout the'Colony, because the risk of .horses breaking dorm during the race is greater than on the flat, and it would then enable owners to_ pay jockeys the higher riding fee to which tney are entitled, In your opinion do trotting meetings improve the breed of horses ?—-If managed in a proper manner, X certainly do think that trotting would encourage as good a class of horse as racing, if not better; but if trotting is to be carried on in the future in New Zealand as in the past I most certainly would be strongly opposed to it, I am inclined to think that proprietary clubs are greatly to blame for the great outcry against trotting meetings all over the Colony. The most glaring cases of swindling have been allowed to be perpetrated on these courses, and no notice taken whatever. I understand there are a number of clubs who are. beginning, to ■ make a move in the direction of .bringing about a better and more genuine class of j sport than that which has existed in the ( past, and I trust they will succeed. In - my opinion it would improve the sport greatly if only horses that could accom* ! pliah a mile in three minutes or better were allowed to compete in trotting races. The question might arise how would they deal with maiden horses in the event off

such a horse winning. Unless the distance was covered in the time set down, he would not bo entitled to the stake. The clubs would require to make a reasonable allowance on days when the courses would be heavy. If the above idea was adopted it would be the means of doing away with a number of horses that should never be seen on ft course, and the handicapper would then have no occasion to give such unreasonable starts to bring horses together. I also think it would be an improvement if clubs had fewer saddle events and more harness races in their programmes. i So ended my chat with Mr Henry, and \ that ho speaks as one having authority, and not as a scribe, allow me to quote the list of clubs he handicaps for: —Canterbury, Manawatu, Feilding, Eangitikei, Egmont, Nelson, Marlborough, .Marton, Turakina, Woodvillo, Warrengate, Sandon, AVaverley and Waitotara, Patea, Ashurst, Otaki, Waitara, Lower Valley, Taratahi-Carterton, Pahiatua, Kowai Pass, United Hunt Club and Wairarapa Hunt Club.—From the Wanganui Chronicle.