“BLACK THURSDAY"

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 4

“BLACK THURSDAY"

BACKERS’ MISFORTUNES WHEN THE FAVOURITES WERE BEATEN. Kur for many a day have bacliers received such a drubbing as they did on Thursday, the opening uay ul inc Wanganui meeting, i.ur tuc lavountcs went down with monotonous regularity, lb was a desperate time for punters,, for the outsiders came roiling home in race after race, and even in those events m which the winner was well backed there was always something .supported to a greater extent to add to the punters’ deficit. The trouble started in the first race, the Purua Hack Flat, for which event the best-backed pair were Lady’s Boy (£592 16s) and Callanmore (£od3). De sert Lad, whose backets had lost nearly half their investments when the Acre gelding was beaten a nose at lluwera last Saturday, proved too good for the favourite on Thursday and second was the best Lady’s Boy could do. Fortunate, indeed, were his backers, for they did. not suffer any loss over their investments. A hot favourite was found in Son Fera in tho Hack Steeplechase, and the Feramorz gelding was entrusted with the sum of £727 10s. But again was demonstrated the fact that “money doos not make the mare go.” Jumping indifferently, San Fera was fourth when the post was passed, and if Radiate had not fallen at the last fence, the favourite would have been no nearer than fifth. Still worse was in store for backers in the Wanganui Steeplechase, in which Maunga was backed to the extent of £616, for he failed to complete the course and his supp irters could be pardoned for feeling rather sorry for themselves. In passing, it may be men tioned that this was a remarkably even betting race. The outsider of the field was Comical, yet he carried £286 10s, which was little short of half tho amount invested, on the favourite. “Most Unkindest Cut of All.” Another unkind blow was dealt to supporters of the favourite in the fourth race, the Kaitoke Hack Hurdles, for their fancy threw out at the second fence. He Was one of the most heavily backed horses on the day, there being £940 10s invested on his chances. By this time followers of the favourite were showing a deficit of well over £2OOO and could very well be pardonel for anticipating that a patch of good luck was waiting just round the corner. Such was not to be, however, for the downfall of another public fancy was recorded in the May Hurdles, in which race Peneus (£722 10s) and Pouri (£571 10s) carried tho confidence ami cash of the public- Sixth and fourth respectively was where they finished, and backers wrote another entry down on tho debit side of their betting accounts. “Hope springs eternal in the human breast,’ ’ runs the old saying,, and bettors arc only human after all. So they sorted Vcsperus out as the best, of good things for the Connolly Handicap and in they went with their heads down. At Randwick the totalisator pays out on first, second and third horses—at least in a field of the size that contested the principal flat, event on Thursday —but backers of the favourite would have required a dividend to bo paid

out on the sixth horse if they were tu receive any return on their investment. Thus another sum amounting to £941 10s went the way of the rest. Going for a Recovery. No wonder the public became a litth bewildered when, the field paraded foi the final event, the Borough Handicap! lor six favourites in six races had faded to secure a win between them. Sa they were undecided as to what they would back, ami finally, when the totals were adjusted, i- was ascertained that the most heavily backed of thii thirteen starters were Covent Garden (£534 10s), Limited (£527 10s) and Tea Time (£435). The only one of the trifl to make any return was Tea Time, whose dividend for second place showed his backers a profit. But backers cf the favourite pair lost all their investment, and thus came the end of a decidedly imperfect day. A calculation of the total amount invested on the seven first favourites shows that £5078 was entrusted on their chances, the net deficit on the day’s investments being £4485 10s. How backers will fare to-day remains to be seen. Perhaps they will do as Pat said they might: “They’l leave the favourites alone entirely ” said he. “and sure the bastes will come home and pay the very divil of a price!’’