“DOLLAR” PUNTERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 438, 2 December 1930, Page 5

“DOLLAR” PUNTERS

TAKAPUNA EXPERIMENT THE FIVE-SHILLING TOTE A REMARKABLE SUCCESS [Special to “Chronicle.”) AUCKLAND, Nov. 30. That the five-shilling totalisator has come to stay is the only opinion one could hold after witnessing the remarkable success of the venture launched yesterday by the Takapuna Jockey Club.

When it was suggested that a fiveshilling totalisator was a requirement of the large percentage of race-going public many scoffed at the idea. However, despite the opposition the executive of the Takapuna Jockey Club decided to try the new proposal out at their spring meeting.

The first try-out of the lower denomination for betting was given at Takapuna yesterday and from the very outset there was no doubt as to its popularity. The club had twelve selling windows on the outside enclosure for the sale of five-shilling tickets and these were rushed on each race. When business was in full swing on the big race, the Alison Cup, there were lengthy queues at each selling window, whereas queues were few and far between in ten-shillings and pound races. For the eight races the totalisator handled £36,5.16 15s, made up as follows: Lawn enclosure (£5. £1 and 10s tickets and commissions) £17,891; outside (10s and 5s tickets): £18,625 15s. Of the latter amount ten shillings sales totalled £8684 and five shillings, £9941 15s. A close study of these figures shows that more than twice as many 5s tickets (39,767) as 10s (.17,368) were sold on the outside. One interesting feature of the outside betting was that in the first seven races the 5s sales exceeded in value those of 10s. In other words, there were more than twice as many 5s tickets sold as 10s. This was the result in all but the last event, on which £1367 and £ll6B were the respective values of the 10s and 5s tickets sold, ft was significard. but suggested that the majority of the outside patrons were plunging to make a recovery or playing up their winnings. Human nature being what it is, either suggestion is reasonable. That the move was a very popular one with the racing public was manifested in the great interest taken, resulting in increased patronagp. To what an extent this affected the club will be realised when it is stated that yesterday the gate receipts exceeded those for the first day of last spring meeting by £2OO. In this respect the innovation more than paid for itself and justified the club’s enterprise. The attendance yesterday was 25 per cent, larger than last year, yesterday’s estimate, being io,ooo. Incidentally, the weather yesterday was beautifully fine and in this respect, was a repetition of the climatic conditions pertaining last year. The figures indicated above arc all the more illuminating when one conies to consider that the financial conditions in the Dominion can be considered a good deal worse to-day than twelve months ago. The total totalisator turnover yesterday dropped f o nearly £6OOO below that of last year, but the most optimistic officials of the Takapuna Jockey Club expected a decrease of over 20 per cent., especially after the dampening effect of the wool sales. Truly, it can be said that the five-shilling totalisator saved the day. A'isiting officials were very much impressed by its success. It would appear that the five-shilling “tote” has come to stay, particularly in metropolitan districts where there is a large, population. The lower betting unit was expected to make for more for the club in the way of fractions, which are devoted to stakes, but yesterday’s returns in this direction wore only up to the average. Perhaps when the five-shilling

“tote” becomes almost, universal as it must, the Racing Conference will recommend the paying out of dividends to the nearest threepence instead of fid as at present. The Takapuna Jockey dub was brave and optimistic enough to be the first club to meet the present difficulties of the majority of racegoers by providing them with a five-shilling totalisator, and the club has won the reward to which it is richly entitled. Its lead is sure to be followed by many other racing and trotting clubs.