“TOTE” WENT BROKE!

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 317, 30 September 1940, Page 1

“TOTE” WENT BROKE!

RACES IN PALESTINE HORSES, CAMELS, DONKEYS An amusing account of a race meeting held by British forces in Palestine has been received in Wellington from a New Zealander serving with the Australians. “It was the funniest affair I have ever seen and I don’t think I will ever fonget it,” he writes. “The meeting was held at Beersheba, which is about two hours’ run by bus from where we are camped. The track was laid out for the occasion, as race meetings are rarely held here. A small area was fenced off and was known as the ‘enclosure,’ admittance to which was 250 mils (5/- in our money). The outside’ was free. The totalisator was build in a tent and was eventually wrecked by the effoits of the crowd trying to back their fancies. “There were about 5000 Beduoins there and nearly every one of them brought along either a horse, camel, or donkey. Just try to picture the scene. The first race started about half an hour late and the last race half an hour early. I don’t know what happened to the totalisator, but after the third race it went ‘broke.’ Wh le it was operating,though, it was possible to back a horse 10 minutes after the race was run, and this was probably the reason it went ‘broke.’ “The racing was very interesting. The distances varied from six furlongs to one mile and there was a bwo-mile race for camels. The jockeys were Arabs and they rode barebacked with the whips out all the way. The camels went away from a siting start. A couple of us were told the winner, but owing to the totalisator not functioning were unable to get set.”