THE TOTALISATOR V. THE BOOKMAKER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XVII, Issue 978, 3 December 1908, Page 6

THE TOTALISATOR V. THE BOOKMAKER.

Whenever the size of the field allows first and second dividends to be paid, the totalisator gets the bulk of the betting; but this general rule does not apply when there is only one dividend (points out the “ Weekly Press”). At the last Racing Conference Mr. W. H. Herries, M.P., drew attetnion to the fact that small country clubs' were adversely affected by the licensing of bookmakers, because the size of their fields rarely permitted the paying out of dividends on the first and second horses. In his opinion the totalisator could hold its' own in races which had the number of competitors necessary for two dividends, and the layers had all the advantage over races in which only one dividend was returned. The answer was that clubs should make their programmes' so attractive to owners that they would be bound to get good fields. That, of course, is all very well in theory; ‘but small clubs have to cut their coat according to their cloth, and however much they may desire to increase their stakes, they canot over-run the constable. The Marlborough meeting affords

strong proof of the case of Mr. Herries, and there was' evidence on this point in the weight-for-age races at the C.J.G. meeting. For the twenty-three handicap events there were two hundred and fifty-seven starters, an average of over eleven per race; consequently the totalisator betting was entirely satisfactory. Most of the classic and weight-for-age races produced two-dividend fields. There were seven starters for the Stead Memorial Gold Cup, and two dividends were paid. The totalisator investments on this race amounted to £3883, a sum which should convince those who argue that weight-for-age events do not “ pay” of their erroneous opinion. For the Canterbury Cup there were six starters, and only one dividend was paid. Here the investments came to £2083, just £lBOO less than the amount invested on the two-dividend Stead Cup. In both races there was a very hot favourite, so the figures prove that the two-dividend principle very popular with the racing public.