£27,000 Gift

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 863, 6 January 1930, Page 12

£27,000 Gift

REGULAR WINDFALL FOR TREASURY AS RESULT OF FOUR DAYS’ RACING AT ELLERSLIE RACING TAXATION How many business firms, or private citizens, would like to receive a cheque for nearly £27,000, payment for one week’s transactions, without so much as doing a hand’s turn to earn it? Yet that is how the Treasury profited by the four days’ racing at Ellerslie recently. And this Treasury cheque must make the mouths of even the biggest and hardest of profiteers water. The only responsibility undertaken by the Government is the appointment of a totalisator inspector, whose duty it is to see that everything in connection with the totalisator is conducted in a manner far above even the slightest suspicion, and therefore possessing a check over the investments and amounts payable in dividends. The Good Old Days Many stories have been told of money being invested after a race had been run, but of late years such a thing is unheard of, with totalisator inspectors, improved methods, and a rigid control. In this connection the writer recalls an incident in an important race at Wanganui shortly before the war. This was a steeplechase, and even when half of the three-mile journey had been covered the totalisator was still doing business, the inside staff apparently being in ignorance of the fact that the race was on. A friend of the writer had gone to the machine to back a certain horse, and leaving it a bit late, he saw the race start. At the end of a mile one horse—not the one he fancied—was holding a commanding lead, and so the backer dived to the totalisator and doubled his intended investment, taking a couple of tickets on the leader. No sooner had he been handed the pasteboards than there was an excited roar from inside the machine, “Close down, the race is nearly over!” That horse with the commanding lead was jiever caught and won pulling up. This sort of thing was possible when the totalisator did business right up to the actual start of the race, the balancing being done during and after the running of the event. Nowadays everything has to be balanced before a race can be started. Auckland’s Big Present But to come back to the present. The recent most successful meeting of the Auckland Racing Club was a real windfall for the Government, nearly £27,000 being its share of the

financial returns accruing from the four days’ racing at Ellerslie. These figures are made up of the following: Totalisator Tax . . £B,BIO 18 0 Dividend Duty . . 15,860 6 0 Amusement Tax .. 995 14 5 Stakes Tax 1,242 0 0 £26,908 18 5 The totalisator tax is that derived from all the investment; the dividend tax represents 5 per cent, of all the dividends; amusement tax is the charge on gate takings; and stakes tax represents a 5 per cent, taxation on all stake money given. For instance, the winner of the Auckland Cup would have £lO5 deducted from his stake. The above figures indicate in no uncertain manner what a real windfall racing means to the Government, and, like most taxation, is money for nothing. WILL PAY HIS WAY PEACEMAKER GOOD PURCHASED AT TRENTHAM In Peacemaker, George Price appeal's to have a three-year-old of outstanding merit, and apparently stable connections were well aware of his good prospects, judging by the substantial plunge on him at Randwick recently. But they probably did not think him capable of the remarkable effort he unwound in the last half-furlong. Peacemaker was an unlucky horse with three minor placings last year. But He could always gallop, and his trainer realised that it was only a matter of time that he would repay his perseverance. The time came on this occasion in his division of the Trial, but the fact that he drew an outside position at the barrier deterred their hopes somewhat. Chance Looked Poor' A substantial commission went on him at double figures, and so strong was the demand that soon his price shortened to just half, and punters were still taking that quotation at barrier rise. Peacemaker was a long way back in the race, and even at the home turn, where he met with interference and was further checked, his chance seemed hopeless. Should Win Again Sweet Oration in the meantime had established a lead that made victory seem certain, but half a furlong from home. Peacemaker emerged from the ruck, and. with a lightning-like dash, caught the leader and went on to win by a neck. Like Veilmond, George Price’s other winner on Saturday, Peacemaker is by Limond, Limerick’s sire. Messrs. Keogh and Rowe gave 975 guineas for him as a yearling, at Trentham two years ago. and although he has taken a long time to strike winning form, it seems that he might further reward them from now on.