£3,000,000 Wagered

Chronicle (Levin), 7 January 1947, Page 6

£3,000,000 Wagered

s Thre^ kiiUion - pbunds is the amofiul y 'lioisted as haviiig been wagered on the ft tot&lisators ajt- raeing and trottiiig ineef b, ings in Nevv" Zealand during the midSummer holiday period. On this occa-.-siofi the holiday meetings started on the Saturday -before Boxing Day and were > .cbncluded last Saturday, when the re1 qor'd turnover at the Stratford meeting p. ,-yv-ak a-'decisive ftictor in bringing the . .';gg^regate: to -more -than £3,000,000 in : that. fortfiight. , . f ' The. -full. effeet of turnovers reaching aucli figures - will. not be felt for some tinie,- but it; camiot f aii to result in inffeased stake-money being offered next season-.- With -that in prospect intendiiig jmrchasers at the yearling saies at Tj-eqtham; this' .month will be encour"aged to stretch their limits, and the -•ehanees. are that ■ yearlings by fashionable sires will command what might ■dvave Feen considered a few years ago ■ rlantastic pricos. Four-ligure prices for .•yearlings aud fourrligure stakes for inces '.have .been noted in the past to acfcompany a boom in "tote" turnovers. K'een interest was taken in the pro.gressive totals at the four-day meeting ke'ld by the Auckland liacing Club at Ellerslie. O11 the opening day a fresh record for New Zealand was estabiished when investments reached a nevv high ' J at £277,102, nearly £7000 fhigher than the previous record, also _set at Ellerslie on June 3 last. With Ihe second day 's figures bringing the Lotai to witliin range of the hatl'-miilion il was' evident that a fresh aggregate record was 'certain, providod tkat the weather remained iine. The Nevv Year's Day (igures were jusl over £230,000 and wlien the meeting conciuded on Thursday the nevv record stood at £905,20-1, nearly £100,000 over the previous year's Jigures. "On, the other days of the carnival al Auckland sporting enLhusiasts atlended Ihe Auckland Trotling Club 's meeting and wage'red a'Lotal of £133,829 for Lhe three days. This brought tlie totai invesled 011 the seven days of the Auckland carnival to £1,339,083, nearly lialf the smn invested throughout the Doniinion from December 21 to Jauuury 2. Tlie Manavvatu llaeing Club, starting its meeting on Lhe Katurday before Boxing Day, enjoyed ils most successful meeliiig with a turnover of £270,719 10s, shovviug an increase oi' £100,210 10a over ihe ainounl regislered Uvelve months earlier. "The Marton Joekey Club's meeting on New Year's Day and the foiiowiug dav, also showed a substanlial increase oi' nearly £20,000, the record totul being £112,792 10s, as compared willi £93,705 a yoar earlier. N'aturally, • vvitli the Marton, Wairararapa - and Havvke 's Bay meetingH clasiung, and Btrati'ord opening 011 Nevv Year.'s Day, there was a good deal of .ft-.i-endly rivalry betvveen the centres. The Taranaki meeting 011 Boxing Day and December 28 liad' topped the 4100,000 mark with £101,10-1 10s. This was bettered by the WlraU'oi'd Kucing Club, vvhicli liad a turnover of £137,310. The 'Wairarapa meeting at Tauherenikau" savv a turnover of £101,003 regislei'jed.:. Ad Hastings the investmeiits at the Havvke 's Bay meeting totalled ri 100,5 23 ^10s, . s'oln'e ' £13,U0U' above thu! previous New Year meeting. Thusj Stratford koids pride of piace so far as ■Nevv Year meetings in tlie southeni ppx.tion of .tlie, • Nortli ; rslaad:;,iS, eoniCerned: ■ •' '!■: ' I'li the Soutli" island the Dunedin Joekey Club's turnover for its Lvvo-day -meeting was £112,705, aud £100,284 10s vv\ent through the machines at the Canterbuiy Park trotting meeting. ' The New Brighton Trotting Club liad a turnover'of £96,909 10s. Figures" kfd'r tlie meetings- are as foilovv: — - " £ Auckland 905,251 Auckland Trots . . . . 133,829 Mairawatu " . . .. .. 270, 719^ Stratford 137,3-10 lMarfco.li . . .112,792^ Dunedin . . 112,765 Cau'^irbury Trots .... 100,2811 Wairai-apa .. .. .. .. 101,003 Taranaki ..t ' 101,1 04 J Hawke's Bay .. .. 100,523i New' Brighton Trots .. 90,9091 Ashburton Trots . . . . 71,830 i Westpo'rt Trots .. .. 17,782 Ohinemuri 10,27(14 Southland 96,880 Wyndham 1 1,9301 Waikouaiti 10,9504 Gore Trots 33,1-14 Waikato Trots ( JLat ) .. 32,158 1 Greymouth 2S,1114 Winton Trots 24,305 Kurow 20,308 tV'aipukufau .. .. .. 15,3924 Wes'tfand 13,5014 Reefton .. 12,331 Waikato Trots (2nd) .. 19,001 Gi-ifymouth Trots .... , 57,2554 T'6'tal £3,210,9864 • 4