IMPROVEMENT REAL?

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 103, 28 October 1933, Page 25

IMPROVEMENT REAL?

TOTALISATOR TURNOVERS

THIS SEASON'S FIGURES

' A satisfactory feature of the race and trotting meetings held over the recent Labour Day holiday was the continuation of the improvement shown in totalisator turnovers, for just prior to these meetings there had been an apparent halt in the iucreuses that had become the regular rule for the past eight months. Still the ■weather factor may have had much to do with the result, for twelve months ago the Labour holiday was universally wet, whereas it was fine throughout the Dominion this year. For the present the real tfend must remain in doubt. Last year at about this time turnovers were down to an abnormally low level and had clubs not begun to climb out of the trough when they did many of them must have foundered. With the introduction of changed methods of dividend distribution, definite way against the storms of' the depression was made, but, as the figures were tending to show last month, the fight against the tempest may not yet be. over, and clubs-may at present be really no' more than just bove-to, with ominous swells still on either side. What the present trend is cannot be clearly discovered. The Labour Day meetings were no equivocal criterion, nor probably will the racing for the next two months be. The Christmas and New Year holiday meetings will perhaps give some better clue, but it will be after then, when win-and-pjace is- beginning in its second year, that the real position will become more apparent. The increases at present being registered are definitely not sufficient to set most clubs back on a sure keel, and if the rate of improveement does not accelerate such clubs will again have to drop the slight additions in stakes they have made on their recent programmes. Last year at this time the average decline in turnovers was roughly 30 per cent, on the previous year's turnover, and now turnovers have recovered on an average 13 or 14 per cent., with a fine spring to assist, not a. particularly auspicious all-round showing, considering the straits the sports were in twelve months ago. At this point it may serve a useful purpose to set out how the turnovers at this season's meetings to date compare with last season's, and the following table shows the position:—

The table given includes all meetings held this season, • excepting only the Eg-mont-Wanganui Hunt, Foxton, and North Canterbury race meetings, and the Hawke's Bay Trots (at Hutt Park), which were not held last spring. The extra day of the Wellington Racing Club's Meeting is also not included, nor are the first days Vof the meetings that opened on Thursday. It will be seen from the figures given that the increase for racing to date amounts to £47,828 10s, or 1-4 per cent, (approximately) ion last year's figures. For trotting the actual increase is £25,369% or H?,Vz per cent, (approximately). Twelve months ago the decline on the previous year's aggregate turnover, up to about this date, was approximately 30 per cent, for racing aud 2S per cent, for trotting. By Christmas and the New Year tho decline had bden checked to 10 por cent; for racing and 0 per cent, for trotling, and, following the introduction of win-and-place, the trend was changed to small increases, wLicb. by Easter had mounted to 12 per cent, for racing and 9 per cent, for trotting. The rate of increase continued to improve; during the winter and early spring, but if lapsed towards' the end of last month, and, had last year's Labour Day weather not been so bad, it is possible many of the increases recorded, last weekend would have been decreases. It is notable that bo far this season only one trotting meeting (the Waikato) has shown a decline, and the reason for that was wet weather. Still many of the trotting meetings have returned just a bare increase, and the rate of increase averages a shade less than for galloping meetings. From different angles different views will undoubtedly be taken of the likeliest interpretation of the figures given. It is clearly impossible yet to make general conclusions, and even hypotheses can be ventured only from admittedly unstable foundations. It is certainly disconcerting to note the group of declines just prior to the Labour Day holiday, and until such declines become remote again few would be ho optimistic as to shout the paeans of recovery from the housetops.

RACE MEETINGS. ■ ■ 1932. £ •PoTerty Bay Hunt ...* 3,799% Canterbury .T.C, 69,678% Pakuranga Hunt 20,337 •Hawke's Bay Hunt .... 5,150 Taranakl Hunt ....... 4,702 Otago Hunt 8,818% Marton 4,937 ♦Ashburton 6,422 *GeraWIne 14,730 "Wanganul .,.■ 16.231 *Kurow 6,270 M Dunodin 17,634% 3Oln.M-iIaori 13,601 South Canterbury .... 8,244 Masterton C,0«l *Avondalc ■ .'...'... 45,875 ■ Wellington 40,3S0% Walkato -Hunt 12,341 Waverley. 4,627% ♦Walpajva 5,548% Goro ................ 16,0S9% 1933. £ 2,904% 91,381V 3 21,517 3,369 . 0,343 ■ 10,374% 6,751 6,164 : 11,523 15,531 5,973 10,315 12,398 S.579 7.011% 39,994 f62,199% 16,730% 6,1S5% 3,816 18,326% Totals £331,568'/:! £379,397 "Decrease tills season. . ,...• -jOnly two final days given. ..,..-.. MEETINGS. •■.•■■... 10u2. .1US3. S • fi Metropolitan 62,028% ■ 73,157% Auckland 21,1(5-1 21,932 • Sew Briehton 14,326% 10,432; Wellington -........'...■18.127 13,431 Jlethven 7,803% 9,297% :Xew Brighton 14,089 ' 14,723 •Waikato 9,732 7,128 Auckland 10.8S3 25,833 Oamaru 13,769% 15,707 Greymouth 13,320 14,591% Totals ,..£188,863 ': .'.;..; *Decrea36 this season. £214,232%