THE CALCUTTA SWEEP.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 72, 18 November 1912, Page 7

THE CALCUTTA SWEEP.

£ISOO A YEAR FOR LIFE. (From the Sunday Times.) Calcutta, September 12. I am going to give yon the history of the biggest sweep on record. The story has been told Australians in bits from time to time, but 1 don’t think it has ever been covered hilly. While passing through Calcutta I had the privilege of meeting one of the executive officers of the Calcutta Turf Club, and to him I am indebted for a groat deal of the information at my disposal. The Calcutta sweep, in a way, cannot be classed with the operations of Tattersall, or the South African “Sweepstakes King,” who used to give prizes of £50,000 “more or less” for it only covers one race in the year —the English Derby—hut it breaks a lot of records in its one big flutter, yielding last year some £66,000. Yet in spite of its immense value it is quite a private sweepstake, and tickets in it cannot be purchased off-hand. To-day, in fact, as a result of certain representations made to the Indian Government, it is almost impossible for an outsider to get in, for it is confined to members of the Calcutta Turf Club.

The originator of this great event was Lord William Bercsford, a brother of Admiral Lord Charles, who set the ball rolling the time he was secretary to the Viceroy of India. The tickets were 10 rupees (13s Gd), and in order to make the prizes worth while, Lord William sent word of the sweepstake along the telegraph line between Calcutta and Simla. The result was wonderful, and although in every statioi., regimental mess, and barrack-room there was a sweep of some sort on the famous Derby, the one at Calcutta jumped to premier position, and has never fallen back. The rules laid down by the founder still hold to-day. The Turf Club handles the whole .business, a committee of the club do the drawing, .and the secretary notifies drawers of horses by cable, wherever they are. The drawing is conducted publicly, so' far as members of the club and their friends are concerned. The numbers of all the tickets sold are placed in a revolving glass barrel, while in another are placed the names of all the horses originally nominated for the Derby. Then a blindfolded boy draws a number from one barrel, and another youth similarly prepared draws a hqrse from the second barrel. After each draw the barrels are revolved, giving all the horses and numbers a shakcup.

The first prize is 40 per cent, of the total amount subscribed, the second 20 per cent., the third 10 per cent., starters and non-starters ; 10 per cent., and the balance ; gbes to the,''club. For some years'now the first prize has equalled £lsooi per year for life, that is to say/ £50,000, which at 3 cent, would yield that income.

Each year a syndicate is formed atnong the Indian officers arid bivili&hs for the purpose of buying up the tickets of those who have drawn horses which are thought ]ikely.to be among the first three. It is a’ ]^|i| r atc concern," and of course purely' speculative, hut many a ticket holder has thought £SOOO before the race is better than £IOOO afterwards, although by selling his ticket he forfeits a chance of winning £50,000 or so. In 1911 the syndicate did very well, I am informed, as they made a profit of £34,000, hut in 1908 they did not think Signoretta worth buying or backing in the open market, and they lost heavily. Often holders of horses well thought of sell a share of their tickets. For instance, when Lemberg won, Captain H. T. Rohan, upon receiving the cable stating that he had drawn the horse, at once sold a half share in In's ticket for £7500, and yet when his horse landed the race he netted £33,000.