TIN HARE RACING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20432, 12 June 1928, Page 13

TIN HARE RACING.

POPULARITY IN SYDNEY. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 1. It is just a year since greyhound racing with tin hares as the quarry was introduced to the public of Sydney, and the growth of the sport has been phenomenal. Usually it takes years to establish a sport in popular favour, hut with tin hare racing one year has been sufficient. It appealed to the public from the start, and although the novelty has long worn off it continues to attract vast crowds. Those responsible for gloomy forecasts are confounded, and so are those who said that the boom period would pass. The sport was inaugurated by the Greyhound Coursing Association, which boasted an aggregate attendance dunng the 12 months of 800,000 people. The average attendance at afternoon meetings now is between 8000 and 9000. The largest crowd at a single meeting exceeded; 20,000; that was at an evening meeting during the period betting was allowed at such meetings. Night meetings are still held, without betting, and even then the attendance exceeds 1000. Another course in Sydney has been operating for five months, and its aggregate attendance has probably been about 100,000. The average attendance for an afternoon meeting is between 5000 and 6000. Evening trials are held as well. On these figures at least 16,000 in Sydney attend the sport each week, paying at least £2500 in admission charges. The weekly attendances are considerably larger when special events are decided. The prize money distributed by the Coursing Association was £25,000, and the highest total stakes for one meeting £llOO. The association hag contributed £3IOO to charity, and very much more to its fortunate shareholders. With the success of greyhound racing in Sydney it was inevitable that the sport should spread to other centres within the State. Newcastle has two clubs and four afternoon meetings each week. The average attendance at each meeting is 3000, but varies according to the miners’ nay day. Five other centres have weekly meetings, and the total attendances outside the city is just under 20,000 —a grand total for the State of 36,000 each week. Tin hare racing has given a tremendous impetus to greyhound racing. Owners of sires doing stud duty demand high fees. Whereas a few years ago a greyhound puppy would go begging at £5, one is readily sold nowadays at £2O. A more matured dog, which would have been worth £ls under the old reckoning, is now valued at £4O, or even more. Betting began on a small scale, but it has since reached great proportions, and a strong “ ring ” now operates.