SMALL WAGES

Shannon News, 24 November 1925, Page 1

SMALL WAGES

FLOOD OF TRANSACTIONS.' "WASTED FIVE MONTHS." MELBOURNE, November 4. One bookmaker was paying - out on the Gup till seven .minutes to six. Questioned this morning, the bookmaker said that his trouble was the tremendous volume of small wagers that he laid. Altogether he laid £3COO against "Windbag, and the largest bet was seven "ponies". He had issued 1100 tickets by 11 a.m., and altogether his Cup book consisted of eight huge pages of wagers. ? Owing to the huge size of the antepost betting transactions on the (two Cups this year, the settling _ rooms held a record crowd this morning; and except by guesswork, it is impossible to an accurate idea how mucli the bookmakers have to pay rut. One leading Melbourne'operator has (o pay out £31,000, another £35,000 a third £20,000. In regard to the lastnamed two, both say they did net lose on the race, but at the same, time they did not make any profit From their point of view they have wasted five months' strenuous wo'rk\foar no gain, but much anxiety. A leading Sydney operator, while not disclosing how much he himself had to pay, said that it was an exceptionally bad race for Sydney bookmakers, who, in his opinion, would fare very much \v< rse than their Melbourne brethren. G. Price, trainer of Windbag, stated this morning that the Melbourne Cup battle reminded .him of the struggle between Windbag and Spearfelt in the A.J.C. St. Leger last autumn. On that occasion, Windbag won his race, he sa.id, through sheer gameness, just as he did yesterday. Laid Off Their Money. It is an old story now that Windbag, who landed fortune in'aggregate by winnirig the Melbourne Cup was orfiginally bought as a yearling. by Mr lan Duncan, on behalf of Mr Fred Earl K.C., of Auckland for 150 gns. Mr Duncan changed his mond about the youngster, and half an hour later re-sold him for 125 gns. to Mr R. Miller George Price, who headed the winding trainers' list in Sydney last season, has wpn out in the locally-raised argument that he was giving a Newmarket Handicap preparation to Windbag. It was not really so much . a win for Price, as a walk-over, inasmuch as Windbag blew very litth? after his great performance. It might not have worked out so well had Windbag not raced on Derby Day. The Melbourne Stakes spoiled the> Melbourne Cup of 1925 for some people. One of these folk was the noted Victorian trainer, J. Holt. He had backed Windbag fairly well, but laid it all off, and put the proceeds on Manfred.

In the crush and crowd yesterday, I never ran across Windbag's owner, but gossip at the Victoria Club last evening -credited liim, too, with having laid off the greater part of what he stood to win on Windbag. That admittedly is gossip, but the speakers were men usually well informed. That is one side of the Melbourne Cup aspect. There is another. Big ante-post bookmakers would , have been in very serious trouble had Windbag won the Stakes brilliantly in addition to Manfred running away with the Derby. At the close on Saturday 10 to 1 was laid Against Windbag, and eights were general. At - least one big operator saved himself through this, and doubtless there were others. Sydney Bookmaker's Loss. By the way, a Sydney bookmaker provided a little extra turn at Flemington yesterday. Twenty-five minutes after every other paddock bookmaker had faded away from the scene he was still paying out. He actually finished at 5.53. It was o,uite interesting to watch So many people were around him that the police got interested and six uniformed constables stood on the- outskirts of the crowd. That was unfortunate for one 1 man, who and will be charged with being caught in the act of picking a* pocket. Let me say at once that when the bookmaker Jiad finished paying out everybody - was satisfied except Himself, and probably the alleged pickpocket. The bookmaker had commenced betting on the Cup at 10 o'clock, and lie looked almost exhausted at the end. I was told he lost £IBOO on the race.