RACING

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21155, 3 July 1940, Page 10

RACING

COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TE RAPA PATRIOTIC FIXTURE WHAT FIGURES DISCLOSE GATE TAKINGS DECLINE In view of the controversy associated with the issue of complimentary tickets, especially at meetings on the country circuit, the recent meeting of the Waikato Racing Club at Te Rapa, staged for patriotic purposes, provides an interesting commentary. In order that the admission charge would be within the reach of all the modest charge of 2s 6d (gentlemen), and Is (ladies) was decided on, and all, with the exception of a small section of officials, who were giving their services free, were obliged to pay. Yet, only £6lO 12s 6d was taken at the turnstiles, a sum that compared very unfavourably with a gate in the vicinity of £9OO usually associated with a regular Saturday’s race meeting here. And this £9OO gate does not include the substantial complimentary ticket issue considered a necessary adjunct in a successful meeting. On the evidence that last Saturday’s figures provide it would appear that a much better result would have been achieved had the old system of “complimentaries” been observed. Further evidence that the crowd was not there is provided in the number of racebooks sold, only 4386 being disposed of compared with 7681 on the Saturday of the recent winter meeting. In order to regulate the capacity of the main stand and further augment the fund a charge was made for admission to the stand but the sum derived by this means fell much below expectations, only £7O 6s being taken. On this occasion no one had reason to complain about the congestion apparent on usual race days. RIDING AT TRENTHAM N. R. MCKENZIE’S MOUNTS N. R. McKenzie will be leaving for Wellington tomorrow, his mounts for the first day of the Trentham fixture next week including Sly Fox, Colincamps and Esquire. f ENGAGED AT TRENTHAM MIDLAND—BRITISH ISLES Midland and British Isles, who are to fulfil engagements at the approaching Trentham fixture, left for Wellington last evening. They will be ridden in their engagements by A. Curran.