TROTTING CLUB

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 19670, 12 December 1933, Page 11

TROTTING CLUB

WIN AND PLACE SYSTEM EFFORT TO ALTER PLACE PROPORTIONS The Timaru Trotting Club, at a meeting held yesterday, decided to approach the Trotting Conference with a view to securing an alteration of the percentages for the placed horses, it being contended that backers of the first horse on the place machine were entitled to a better return than the third horse. There were present at the meeting— Messrs J. Hole (president), H. F. Morton, A. P. Greenfield, H. E. Willcox, J. Gilmore, A. F. Stocker, R. G. Kilgour, and G. T. Wardell. Summer Meeting. A letter -was received from the New Zealand Trotting Association approving of the programme for the Club's summer meeting. Circular Letter. Mr E. F. C. Hinds advised that he had been informed from several quarters that exhibition trots by Harold Logan would be appreciated by the general public and trotting enthusiasts. If the club desired his appearance, this could be secured by payn \it of a modest sum over and above all expenses. Mr Morton said that efforts had been made for a match race between Red Shadow and Harold Logan, but Red Shadow had been turned out for a spell. The letter from Mr Hinds was a circular one, and would go to several clubs. Mr Gilmore said that it might be an attraction to put Harold Logan aganist the mile and a quarter record. Mr Stocker said that he would sooner see a match race. It was decided to reply stating that the club could not see its way clear to put on an exhibition run, but would be prepared to consider a match at a later date.

Totalisator Percentage. In reply to a letter from the Finance Committee, asking him if he would amend his terms for working the totalisator, Mr W. F. James stated:— “It is impossible for me to carry on unless I receive enough from clubs to pay my expenses. Last season I had the privilege of paying several clubs to allow me to v. -rk the silly system that all clubs fell over themselves to install. You say your committee got a shock when my letter was placed before them; what about the shock and worry clubs gave me last season? All I got was wires saying that such and such a club were installing the win and place machine, never giving me a thought as to whether I had the machines required or not. One would have thought that the fate of the Dominion depended on the installation of the win and place totalisator. Now, owners, trainers, and the racing public are asking for the old thing. Some clubs are going back to three dividends, and that would be all right if they made the fields larger for the second and third dividends, say six for two, and nine for three or more, which would be better. I am still of the opinion that the old system was best for all concerned. However, that has nothing to do with me, but I am out to do my best for all clubs that employ me. As I said before, I cannot go on working and taking all the risks for nothing but a lot of worry. So if your committee want the win and place machines at their meeting next month, they will have to accept my terms or accept my resignation, and I will come up and remove my plant pronto.” The terms offered by Mr James were 21 per cent, up to the first £IO,OOO, and 2 per cent, above that for the win and place machines, or 2 per cent, of the total turnover under the old system. The committee asked Mr James to

reduce the 2J per cent, to 2 per cent. After brief discussion, it was agreed to accept Mr James's terms. Allocation of Dividends. Mr Willcox said that he thought the committee should make representations to the Trotting Conference for an alteration in the allocation of dividends. Wide powers had been given to the Racing and Trotting Conferences, and he thought some alteration of the place dividends was desirable. The objection- to the place machine was that the winner received the same percentage as the third horse. A better distribution would be 50 per cent, first, and 25 per cent, second and third, or 60 first, and 20 second and third. He moved that a letter be sent to the Trotting Conference asking whether the allocation of the place dividends could be altered in the proportion of 50, 25 and 25. So far as the win machine was concerned, he thought it was quite good, for there were better dividends than under the old system, and owners received a better return than under the old system, when 25 per cent, was taken for the second horse. If the alteration he proposed was made, there would be no complaint about the win and place system. The motion was seconded by Mr Greenfield and carried.