THE CALCUTTA SWEEP

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 10713, 19 November 1912, Page 7

THE CALCUTTA SWEEP

£ISOO A YEAK FOR LIFE.

(From tho Sunday Times.)

I CALCUTTA, Sept.ld. J Jam going to give you the history f 'Of the biggest sweep on record. The story has been told Australians in hits from time to time, but [ don't think it lias over been <«.ovcn>d fully. While passing; through Calcutta, I had the priviligo of meeting one of tho ' executive officers of the Calcutta Turf Club, and to him I am indebted for a great deal of tho information at) tny disposal. The Calcutta, sweep, in a way, cannot l>e classed with the operations of Ta.tte.rsa.ll, or tlie South African "Sweepstakes King(" who used to give prize>s of £50,000 "more or less" for it only covers one race in the year —the English Derby—but it breaks a lot of records in its one big flutter, yielding last year somo £66,000. Yet in spite of its immense, value it. is quite a private- sweepstake, and tickets in it cannot be purchased offhand.

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 tlw Calcutta Turf Club. The originator of this great event was Lord William Beresford, a. brother of Admiral Lord Charles, who set tho ball' rolling the time ho was secretary to the Viceroy of India. Tho tickets were 10 rupees (]3s 6cl). and in order to make the prizes worth white, Lord William sent word of the sweepstake along the telegraph lino between Calcutta and Simla. THE RESULT WAS WONDERJFUL, and -although in every station regimental mess, and barrack-room there was a sweep of some sort on the famous Derby, the one at Caluctta- jumped to premier position, and has never fallen back.

The niles laid down by the founder still hold to-day. The Turf Club handles iI!o whole business, a committee of the club do the drawing and the secretary notifies 1:!:r* drawers of horse? bv cable, wherever they are. Tl«> drawing is. conducted publicly. ?:n far n.s members of the club and their friends are eenc f -rned. Tb.o numbers of all tV> ticket-; sold are placed in a revolving ghis.s barrel, while in another are p'aeed the names r-f all tho horses originally nominated for the Derby. Then a blindfolded boy draws a number from one barrel

and another youth similarly prepared draws a horse frcm the second barrel. After each draw the lmrrels are revolved, giving all the horses and numbers a shakc-un.

The first prize is -10' per cent, of the total .amount sub-cribed. the "second 20 per cent., tho third 10 per cent.i starters and non-starters 10 per cent., and the balance f.rees to the club. For «om(! years now the first prize hay equalled £ISOO PER YEAR FOR LTFE

that is to say. £50,000, which at 3 per r-ent. -would yield that income. Each year a syndicate is formed amnne the Indian officers nnd civilians for the purpose of buvinj* up the ticket-; of those who have drawn horses whieh are thought likely to be among the first throe. It is a private cone"/n, and of course purely speculati\e. 11ut many a ticket holder has thought £SOOO before the race is bet-t-r th-.n £IOOO afterwards, although '>v .selling Ids ticket he forfeits a chanc" of winning £50,000 or .so. In 1011 tlr- syndicate did' very well. T •"a informed, ns. th»y made a profit of £3-1.000. bet in 1008 th"v did not think Signorietta worth buying or backing in the open market, and they 'osf. heavily. Often holders of horses well thought o P -io!l ;i share of tlioir th'kets. For instance, when Lemborg won, Captain "H T. Rohan, upon (receiving tire e.i!>':« statins that ho had drawn the 11 ■■•>■•('.••. at once sold a hnlf-'shar" in his f'ike- for £7500, ami yet when Irs borse laml.-d the race he netted 1'3",- ™. ' ,