loo COLONIAL RACE-COURSES 



tions of Epsom, it is quite a relief to know that 

 colonials do not needlessly imperil their jockeys' 

 lives by allowing dangerously sharp turnings, like 

 that death-trap " Tattenham Corner." Then, 

 again, at Flemington there is very rarely a long 

 delay at the post, owing to Australian horses not 

 being frightened at the starting machine. Less 

 stress is laid upon head finishes in the Antipodes. 

 Jockeys ride at top speed from start to finish 

 on smooth courses, consequently they make ex- 

 cellent times, and a good jockey seldom wins 

 on a bad mount, simply because there are no 

 waiting-races. 



Although everybody has long ago heard how 

 the " totalisator " works, a large number of people 

 to this day have no conception what sort of an affair 

 it actually looks like. Imagine a turnstile in front 

 of a window, behind which is a fair-sized room, 

 with a few clerks and cashiers. Nobody can pass 

 into this holy of holies inside the totalisator, 

 because the entrance is barred by an official who 

 plays the part of a book-maker. Slipped into 

 frames outside the window are the names of the 

 horses that are eno-aored in the "next event." 

 This method of gambling is theoretically almost 

 perfect, because each "punter" is sure to draw 

 his proportionate stake if the horse which he 

 has backed wins ; but not infrequently the price 

 is unsatisfactory, especially when nearly all the 

 money is put upon one particular horse. 



Personally, apart from feeling that your money 

 is safe, and that you never get " welshed " by the 

 totalisator, for it belongs to the Jockey Club, I 



