October
SeptemberJust give it a go
Those of us who dream of a national tote would like to think that work is being done to bring it to fruition.
It is laughable that in this modern era someone hasn’t devised a way to calculate the spinoff from the three tote pools into each jurisdiction’s coffers. Surely this must be what is causing the hold-up.
A writer to Your Say last week bemoaned the lack of a national thoroughbred racing body that has the powers and teeth to control the sport across all states and territories — a la the AFL with Australian Rules football . . . surely the biggest sporting franchise in Australia. Yet race wagering is just as fragmented as ever, for want of strong leadership.
As a suggestion, why can’t the three totes make a start by amalgamating their exotic bets — quinellas, exactas, etc — just for a six-month trial, in a “quiet” time of year.
There would be no disruption to the main game (win and place betting) and punters would benefit by seeing standard exotic-bet dividends, instead of the current three-totes farce.
If it turns out to be a disaster I’ll apologise and stop writing about it.
Geelong West (Vic)