THE BOOKS OR TOTE ?

NZ Truth, Issue 1182, 26 July 1928, Page 12

THE BOOKS OR TOTE ?

I . '..'■'■'- .' '■■'.■■'■' ■ . ■ . ' Why One or Two Prefer to Stay In Australia (From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) ALTHOUGH the good prizes m New Zealand frequently attract ""• owners from Australia, there are one or two m the land of the Kangaroo who prefer to stay there.

"M Z. TRUTH," by the last mail, re- ** * received a letter from apr oml- . nent owner m New South Wales, which proved how a punter with the breeze his way could frequently make his wad. , This owner has brought off several good things and only missed getting a bundle by a whisker, not so very long ago. . His book bets were £1200 to £100, £1000 to £100 and £800 to £100 and the value of the race or rather the winner's portion, was £ 650. As stiff luck happened, his competitor only got touched off for first money, and as it was a. straight out wager, his £300 went west.. I In a Melbourne Thousand, he got I £640 to £20 and £100 to £20 for a place, but again bad luck dogged him, his representative falling aadid eleven others of the. twentyfour starters. On top of this, he has supported his classy competitor when he accounted for six races and., going, on the manner iri which he bet's the season must have been a profitable one. y Of course, if an owner, .cannot .afford to bet, the small prizes .oh offer are not much of an . inducement to keep good pacers m the country, but a man with the necessary cash, speculative instinct, and, of; course, the confidence to wallops it on, would no; doubt find it a more paying concern to race where the bookmakers operate and where a successful coup means, easy street, than where a few hundred Invested on the "tote" means' a mere pittance In

return although the stake may be a good one. .Of course, "N.Z. Truth" doea not mean to suggest that this owner will not come to New Zealand, but he will have his fill where the^ wallaby hops i and will only visit Auckland "when there is nothing doing on the other side. In New Zealand there are other ways of betting .than shoving the shekels_through the machine. But one could just Imagine what a sensation would be caused if the local "tommies" were approached by a fair dinkum punter at one of the Auckland meetings.