SPORTING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18545, 4 May 1922, Page 10

SPORTING NOTES

Bi Sentinel.' A REPLY. - In quoting the article which appeared in these columns on the question us to which is the best'method of betting—bookmakers or totalisator —‘'Antisthenes, ’’ of the Weekly Press, reters to the 'professional.backer who endeavours to get in early and secure the "cream of' the market.” ‘/That, course, is the object of most bettors under the straight-out system, but your professional backer is about as shrewd as they make them, and is fully aware of the great danger of forestalling a stable in t-hfev market, and almost invariably waits for a lead from-the right quarter before commencing his • particular operations. Nothing, can givo greater "'force to the saying ‘.‘That tods rush in where angels fear to tread ’ than betting ; on racing, because, if' a professional backer swamped the market and left owner and stable nothing but the crumbs, it has very frequently been found that the-semteh-irig pen has been put' through the horses name or a “waiting” policy adopted, ihe too early bird has burnt his fingers. In referring to the- professional backer, the term was in a general cense, and included the professional owner, who perhaps likes the sport, but insists that the commercial side of it is and must be -the dominant factor in his operations. The professional owner largely the-owner, who races for pure |dve of the game; and,.m fact, commercialism is the dominating factor of racing to-day. /This class of owner is in the majority, and with his knowledge ot form' and market operations is not likely to allow himself to be forestalled. When ho backs a horse he may have as many as half a dozen or more commissioners operating at the same'-time in the ring,, and the price- obtained will average cream ot the market” prices, and if a tori of money is afterwards invested on his horse it docs not affect hDr -1 odds .one iota. He may elect - to hedge aud. stand a good bet to comparatively little or no, risk. He is also in the pleasing position .of being able, to advise his friends tojjliave a bet or at ow them a share in his commission at the average price. Such a thing 'is utterly impossible -with the totalisator, and the situation, as far as the best medium,of betting is concerned to the real racing man with knowledge of the game, may be summed up that the totalisator is as the moving picture of a drama in comparison to the 'genuine and original production -viewed across the footlights; or. In other words, the “dummy” in comparison do the living voice, an imitation, instead of the genuine article. “Antisthenes” goes on to refer to the adventuruous spirit who backs outsiders and so builds up a price for the favourites. That is so, and the fact that it is so stands as the strorfeest objection that can be hurled against the totalisator, because it tempts people with, little or no knowledge of facing to gamble and chase the illusive - “big dividend m much the same manner as the big prizes in Tattersall s sweeps tempts thousands of. people to patronise them in the blind hope of drawing a prize. That dins- class of people exist is bevond question,' and- itTs proved by the fact that Gloamings and Desert Golds pay a dividend simply because others are backed against them whose only chanas of'winning lies in the possibility of their dropping dead during the race.; Antistheries” claims that, the public can- See the racing on New Zealand Cup day for a shilling. That may be so, but when, it comes down to; business the racing public are charged up to the hilt, and nave to pav not less than 3s for the privilege' of betting 20s, and so that the cost of entering the gate is a mere bagatelle, and not worthy of consideration, ’ as even a small bettor may invest £1 on each race and is charged 24s dor doing so. » The '-pool on ihe Templeton Handicap- toMled £10,680. and backers of the winners' received £9lll ,18s in dividends, arid conseouently the public were charged £1569 ; ' 2s for the privilege of investing £10.680.' There is no doubt that the raci-fig public' pay . these exhorbitant charges ..willingly, but perhaps unconsciously. It ■ is, however,- a poor flribule to their infelligence 4 to say that thev dan " “see”’ racing for' a shilling.' Further-, more, it is not a question of abolishing the totnlisfitof in favour of the bookmaker, but solely a question as to which is the best method of betting from an expert ‘racing man’s point of view. By expert is meant, a person who can analyse a handicap arid has a fairly good idea of what is doing when looking at a race. In betting there is a good deal of “follow.-ihe-’eader.” When a. strong stable makes a move the public are satisfied to follow. They know the stable does not “guess” at results, but works on the /acts and figures of form. Racing stables are costly propositions, from which human foresight carinot elmininate, fluctuations of fortune. ' When an owner has,a_ good horse or two and the stable is in form he is entitled to .more than* the ordinary public, but with the totalisator he is forced to take the, same odds or lack of. odds as the people who are'merely out for pleasure, and the last bettor gets the same, pdds as the man who maintains a stable of horses. It may be sakFthat the public make up the deficiency by supplying good stakes, but races are hard to win, and an occasional stake or -two will not maintain a stable. The proof of that consists in ■the fact that the present cost of racing with owners will seriously reduce their ranks unless it is very materially reduced. There is. no objection _ whatever, to the totalisator from one point of view, and there is no desire on the writer’s part to see - it abolished, but nevertheless one cannot bo blind to the fact* that from the real racing man’s point ot view it has just a few more faults “than virtues. And, (furthermore, it is not the great purifier of sport that some claim it to be. and never will be unless electricity and mechanical in, gOnuity oan Control the very human desire to take short cuts to fortune. Keep the totalisator bv all means, but ij is sure to lose favour if it keeps sending up the cost of. living qwing to the greed of a profiteering Government. \ THE CALCUTTA SWEEP. A popular method of betting is supplied by the Calcutta - Sweep, which has all the fascination of the ordinary sweep and art the same time supplies an, opportunit-/-ot backing any fancied horse in a race. Participating in, a Calcutta Sweep may be (passed as an illegal pleasure.' but one may rest assured thaLthose who indulge in that form of do not suffer* from any 'twinge of the conscience. There .may *be a small amount, of anxiety caused , by the fear of discovery, but beyond that no ’ one considers it a crime to participate in a sweep or any other form of gambling which is fegal on one side of* a fence and illegal on the' other. The Calcutta .Sweep,. like the method of straight out getting men-, t/oried in last week’s n- es, is one of the unknown pleasures rifany race-goers, who duly know the totalisator. In the old days Calcutta, Sweeps were openly promoted at every sporting rendezvous, but now they are got up in semi-privacy, but without any loss of ponularity. Tlje remarks concerning the difference-between • totalisator betting and straight out odds apparently created a considerable amount, of interest amongst racegoers not familiar with bookmakers’ methods of making a book, and possibly the modus operand! of promoting a Calcutta Sweep may be equally interest'As, already_ remarked, the Calcutta Sweep makes 'a direct appeal' to Dame Fortune, and at the same time- furnishes a method of backing a-hdrse according to the value' which may be placed qn the chance 6f success. There is no limitation to the number of people or chances which may be taken in a Calcutta Sweep. For instance, a 20-hqrsd Jjeld may be. the basis of a £IOO Calcutta Sweep, which differs from the ordinary sweep limiting the members to the number of horses in , the race, and so gives every participant a horse l;ood. bad, or indifferent. A £IOO Calcutta Sweep on • a 20-horse field may swell in value to a very, large fium.- In such a sweep there would be twenty chances e -pf a prize and 80 blariks. , After the sweep • is drawn the horses are puf up at auction and sold to the highest bidder. Half the sum realised goes to the person who has drawn the horse -in the sweep, and tb? balance goes to enrich the pool,' which is originally worth £IOO. Let is be assumed that thd first horse sold'makes £2O.- The fortunate person who drew , the horse receives £lO and the pool Aiounts id £ftO. This is usually divided so that the grinner receives 70 nor cent., second horse' 20 oer cent, and third horse 10 per cent. 'The buyer of the horse can count' on anproximately a £3 dividend in trie event of the horse' winning, and according, to the percentage if the horse is placed. . If the drawer of the horse is the buyer he is in the position of securing a bargain as he has to pay only half the price of the bid because he is entitled to to per’cent, of what .the hoise realises at auction. The second horse on offer is sold at say, £lO. half of which goes to the drawer and half to. the pool, which would now be worth £lls. and -o it goes on until each horse in the. race is sold. When. the auction Is concluded and the bids divided between the drawer and Hie pool, the letter may .be worth say, £3OO wlnch-is divided pro rata between the placed horses in the race. The participants *in the sweep, have the chanCo of drawing ■ a horse, and .if tjiey are to do so, can- purchase it at 50 "er .rent l»«s. than v the . unfortunates who did . not; The value of the pool 'is announced as each hqrm goes up for sale, so that, bidders can atrike an estimate- of whit odds he is obtaining, in the event of being the successful bidder.

If the winning horse was purchased at--aay. v £23, the buyer can see he is .'feceiyimC. about a £lO dividend, which mv be double the amount paid on* the totalizator and proportionately less if the horse run* second or thirds Such pooh' .ar© promoted on nearly, evefy important in the Dominion. The - participants are nob desirous of laughing at law, but merely quietly ignore it, and will continue to do \ bo, so long as human nature remains whab it- is. It does not necessarily- follow -that • people who flout one law may flout the lot. but it certainly lessens respect fort law* - which, makes betting a pleasure on. the on* hand and a crime on the other. • '

> , STARTING MADE rfASY. It -is perhaps not fully realised that thet ‘ practice of lining horses up to the barrier whilst waiting for the signal that- the -betting on the totalisator is balanced greatly ' facilitates tlie work of the starter. It has become, a fairly general practice to signal that the totalisator has. closed, and the starter then proceeds to line up his field. The riders are fully aware of the fact that the starter will not send them ewayfrom 1 the post untilhe receives the second -signal, and so they line up quietly* at the barrier and stand-on the mark in a manner that is in marked contrast to what may be otherwise displayed by the same field of horses when-called up with the pbsaibility , cf immediate dispatch. If the starter delays liping’up the field to the last possible moment the , riders, under the impression that a start riiay be made at any moment, naturally keep their horses awake and well on their toes for the break away, and hence they are doubly difficult to ’control. The majority of horses will stand quietly if not niggled at and annoyed with th» object of keeping them alert for the start,' and starters would generally find, their work less difficult if they made it a common practice to line up their fields some two or three minutes ; before the actual time of starting, and riot, as some do, delay the lining up until after the totalisator is balanced. By the one method the riders and horses are educated to come up and stand quietly, whilst, on the other'hand, horses become fractious at the post because they have learnt by experience _ that they are probably on the point ot being Jerked about on the bit or spurred up with, the heels of the rider. Few animals will; submit to even a mild form of torture without making some protest, generally displayed by fractiousness, and horses cannot be_ expected to stand quietly at the barrier if their riders are spurring them up in anticipation of a rush off the mark. There is, of course, the. objection that the horse* may be kept standing too long at the post, but lining them up two or three 1 minutest -before the actual. time -of starting with the,riders fully aware that the start, will nof be made irrimediately they, are ah in line.- -unquestionably educates both hors# and riders to come; up quietly into their . places, and so facilitates the work- of the etarter. This seemed to be the great-factor in tlie secret of the success achieved. by-Alr P D. M‘Nab at the Canterbury - Jockey , Club’s Autumn meeting, which was marked by some of the best 'starring , ever seen at Eiccarton. : " „ ; - - _