1926-04-20 — Page 2

Page

A REAL DRINK

"BOARS HEAD BRAND

GUINNESSS

FOREIGN. EXTRA

STOUT

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS TUESDAY, APRIL 2CTE, 1926

A WORLD-WIDE REPUTATION.

SOLE AGENTS:

GANDE, PRICH & CO., LTD. St. George's Building, Ice House Street,

HONGKONG.

TIL CENTRAL No. 133.

DRY CLEANING SERVICE.

A BETTING PROBLEM.

BOOKMAKERS VERSUS TOTALISATOR.

COULD PENCILLERS MAKE A LIVING ON LOCAL Counges And Wouzo Tan

INTRODUCTION PROVE BENEFICIAL†

BY ARGUS...

A keen follower of racing writes to ask whether I can give him any data with regard to the difference it would make to the punter if the Eongkong Jockey Club Stewards were to allow bookmakers to operate at the meetings held throughout the year at Happy Valley. He instances 'the presence- al pencillers at the two steeplechase meetings held at Ewanti, under the auspices of the Faaling Hunt, and adds: "Since bookmakers proved an unqualified success at these retings why should they not be allowed at Happy Valley, where continual complaint is made of the cramped prices returned ???

Nobody would seek to blame them for

ENGLISH MUSIC. doing so; when the odds are unequitable;

ST. GEORGE'S DAY CONCERT. backers have only themselves to blame for trading at so ruinous a disadvantage.

The celebrations on April 3rd this year It should be borne in mind that the are not only in honour of England's backer bas one advantage over the book the day chosen by the East Surrey Regi Patron Saint, St. George's Day is also maker. The latter, must always bet,orment to mark one of their more notablę,

#

mote, enterprising rivals will quickly rob him of his connection. On the oth hand, the backer of horses need not bet except when the reason for betting is good and suficient one.

SUMMING UP.

exploits of the Great War,

The Regimental celebrations take the form of Treeping the Colours en: tha- Parade Ground.

As far as the members of the St. George's Society are concerned there is a To sum up-if bookmakers were allow. simple ceremony at the Cenotaph at 9:0 fed to operate at Happy Valley under a.m. at which it is hoped us many men.

HKC Rules, the punter up to abers as possible will attend Limited anouer would receive better prices about odds on favourites. In the

tinue to beat the layer of suds for ense of outsiders the totalisator will con- reasons set forth above.

The concert takes place at the Theatre Royal at 0.15 p.)

antee that the concert will be of a very have promised their assistance is a guar

The names of the loen vocalists who

a large autiience, high order, and as such is likely to draw

My correspondent has set ma a difficult For the sake of argument we will pre- problem to solve; but as he appears to sume our bookmaker" was determined to be a glutton for igures, I have gone lay every horse in the race to a small through last year's racing returns, repro profit. He would have soon found that duced below. It must be borne in mind, ❘ there was' little demand for any other lion where on more than one occasion by all Tovers of music that the booking. however, that figures can be made to except the favourite in the races referred to above. After accommodating provo anything or nothing."

1/

The limit of a layer of odds was fully demonstrated at the last meeting at Fan- they refused-and quite justifiably-to take money on an odds-on favourite, and

In this connection, it should be noted

is open to the general public as well as

The names of those who have, kindly given their services to make this concart

members of the Society.

Gardner and Mr. R. A. Green. The in- strumental music is in the hands of the Band of the East Surreys has been done to make this concert one It will be seen that everything possible which will be a noteworthy contribution an additional feature, which adds interest to the musica"life of the Colony, while to the occasion is that all the musiu la to be purely English

In racing the argument of post hoc the first comers to his limit, he would the disappointed punters Bad to be satis- success are Mrs. Sanger, Mrs. L. E. ergo propter hoc-because a thing hus probably have tried to cover on the fed with placing their money on the Davis, Mr. L. E. Hopkins, Mr. H. E. been so, thereford it will go on in the totalisator himself and rände things'even

worse for holders of tickets same way does not apply.

on the favourite.

Apart from this, however, the fields on the average are too small to allow any scope to the layer of odds on a course like Happy Valley, where the form of the horses is so generally known.

The fields at the Extra Meetings last year were as follow:-

The Masters of the Fauling Hunt, M am satisfied, could advance very good reasons for giving permission to hook makers to operate at Fanling-argu- ments which would not hold water when applied to racing ander the auspices of the Hongkeng Jockey Club.

For instance, there were 15 days racing at Happy Valley, last yeaḥ, “A züm of! $1,005,816 passed through the winners' totalisator, which brought the Club funds $100,581.50 in commission.

February 28th: 8; 8, 7, 7, 15, 10,

March 21st: " 6, 13. 8. 6. B. 0, A.

મ.

Why Try to

Brush out

•

Stains and Dirt

Sample

which

Dirty,

You would not

Spoils the Nap

Spirit

taken

from

and Set of

to get

Lounge Suita

the Dirt out

Your Suits

It is useless to discuss the totalisator being abolished and bookmakers intro duced in its place, because bookmakers could not afford the fees that would be required to recoup the Club for the less

April 11th:

April 13th:

May 2nd:

May 30th: June lati October 10th:

7. 11. 8, 3. 7, 11,

0,

.

9. 7,6 4, 6.

11. 4. 3, 8, 5. 6, 6,

D.

7. 3. 4.

y, 6,

9.

3, 9, 6 8. 8. 8. 8. 4.

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BOOKIES AND TOTE

totalisator... *

As regards the complaint of cramped prices returned by the totalisator, it is

just. After the commission is deduct ed true prices are returned on favourites and false prices (Ar, more generous) in the caso of outsiders. The machine never refuses money in the case of odds- on favourites!

that the Society is one in which all Eng. Emphasis should be laid on the fact

I am convinced that the presence of ishmen are welcomed and if there are any bookmakers at Happy Valley would act who have not yet sent their names to the prove detrimental to the takings of the Society, Mr. R. E. Greensmith, it is hoped Hon. Secretary of the St. George's Totalisator, but whether they should be that they will do so at once. The only allowed is purely a matter for the Ste-and usual excuse for not joining, which wards and Members of the I.K.J.C. to is no excuse at all; is that the personal decich,

"BOSSED BY $007S."

WHY ARE THERE NO ENGLISH

JUDGES IN SCOTLAND?

"There is a Scottish nation, but I am

5. 5, 38, 3, 7ot so sure that there is an English nation," said Sir Richard Ludgo (brother

October 19th T 3.5" 4. November 7th: 5,,, 8, 4, December ath: 8, 4, 3,

G

5. $.

7.

1.

6 5. 5.

5, 4, 2

of Sir Oliver Lodge), at Harpenden. Sie Kichard recently retired from the Pro- fessorships of History at Edinburgh Uni- versity.

"South of the Twbed," he said, "there is a British nation. We don't look on the Scots as foreigners. We are used to being bossed by them,

The alternative is bookmakers in addi- tion to the machine. For the sake of, In the majority of cases, na can be seen argument we will presume that the Ste-by reference to the totalisator returns wards of the H.K.J.C. had allowed ap-after the first extra meeting, the money

"We are accustomed to having them proved turf commission agents to operate was seldom well distributed showing that

as our judges and bishops, but over the at & Hat rate of $200 per day. It is little money could have been recovered by Border you would not find Scotland unlikely that more than three men would the offer of fancy prices. On the few settling down to baving Britishers on have applied for licenses; so that the ccensione when outsiders did get home, the Bench or as moderators of their

Church, Jockey Club last year would have received they were quietly fancied by their con-

On this side of the Border there is 89,000 in fees- sara tantamount to the nections. Reference is made to foe, whenly one English nation; the other side

there are two. sale of 18.000 tickets on the totalisator.carried-63 tickets and returned a divid. That state of affairs is, of course, end of 893.00; Monitor $183.80 on 5 quite right, and no patriotic Scot would In point the proposition looks an tickets: Valiant $128.00 on 52 tickets; things forth the seats have all the good attractive one as regards the Jockey Golden Chrysanthemum 8134.30 on 50 too."

things for themselves, and other people's, Club.

In practice I doubt whether it tickets: The Wasp $60.00 on 81 tickets; would prove, beneficial to either party- Demon Boy $100.30 on 72 tickets. not that I think the Stewards would con-

inct the only exception

sider the matter for reasons which need

Was

not be discussed here. I am well aware Curiosity Shop, holders of the 40 tickete cach receiving $207.30. Here again, how- that Bookmakers operated for! many years in the Straits Settlements and ever, a well-planned coup was successful their presence on the course was not con. and a bookmaker who had even offered sidered detrimental to the totalisator

20-1 would probably have been a wiser takings. I see no reason why they should but sadder man after the race. affect the machine on the local course. I am convinced, however, that commis. sion agents would soon find they could not make a large enough profit except possibly at the annual meeting.

LAST YEAR'S RESULTS.. Last year thera were 128 races on the Happy Valley course, one being a walk over when Local Option was the only starter for the Fifth Aggregate Stakes, decided on November 7th.

A BOOKIE'S LIMIT. Curiously enough the machine always pays better prices on outsiders than it would be possible to obtain from a book- maker.

As an instance, it may be noted that, Curiosity Shop started at 40-1 and of the 40 tickets, 20 were held by one person. Had the hooks heen offering, 40-1 against Curiosity Shop and an individual offered to take 1,009-100. it is unlikely that he In the other 197 events the results were would have been accommodated.

Even had he heen, there would still be the other tickets to places at the same odda

as follows:-

1st favourite won 57 races. 2nd favourite won 33 races. 3rd favourite won 21 races. Outsiders won racos.

Total 127

TOTALISATOR PRICES.

J

:

The Ist favourites started at 5-4 on; 60-3 on; 5-2 on; 25-1 on; even; 5-1 on 50-1 on; -1 on; 6-3 ou; 7:5 agat.; 5-3 on; 6-1 on; 5-4 on; 5-2 on; 8-5 agat.; 5-g cn; 5-3 on:53 on; 54 on; 54 on; 54 on; 5-3 on; 53 on; 0-5 aget. 7-5 agat.; evens;

As regards favourites and the 'shorter priced horsen, better odds can generally be obtained from a bookmaker, but only! to & limited amount. This is where the machine has the whip hand of the layer of odds, with his mechanical system hased on the theory of laying every borte in a race to a small proft.

While it is true that the totaliantor method of Letting deducts 10 per cent. 5-4 on; 83 agst; 5-2 on; evene; evens; of the pool and never, nods a tent at 6-2 on 25-3 on; 7.5-agst.; even any time, the true odds are paid over

agat.; 6-3 DR

1-4

OG 6- Agat.

winning favourites (less, the percentage, 3-1 age; evene; 10-3,on; 8-5. ágat; 34 of course).

on; 5-1 on; 50-7 on; 8-5 agat.;-25-3 on;

The bookmaker's advantage in that he

6-2 on; 53 on; 5-4 on; 6-2 on; evens; has the odds in his favour since he has

5-4 on; 6-5 agat.; evens; 5-3 on.

large say in fixing the rate of oddi

On 37 occasions the favourite started Mr. Bat Masters, author of How to

at odds on, which, no bookmaker would; Win at Racing," compares bookmakori as have accepted as long as the totalisator a body to n Trade Union, in that they which has no limit

combine

́to keep the odds-in-their invon-

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call or note, that is a necessity batore contact with the Secretary can be estab- lished, is postponed until "to-morrow." Let procrastinators take to heart the lines from one of the very frst of the English Poets that the goodnesse that thou mayest do this day, do it and abyd nat ne delaye it at til to-morwe."

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