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Bookmakers Gonski

West Australian Racing
Not one Bookmaker was on course Wednesday
For the General Public !!
Lindsay was operating in the Members for the Carbine Club
Omg how things have changed 

Comments

  • TheDivaTheDiva    13,246 posts
    Those days are gone. 
    I think the majority of punters on course these days are betting via other mediums.
    the remainder of course attendees are there for the drink and other entertainment... they are certainly not there to bet with the bookies. 
    That makes them an eventual casualty of the raceday experience. 
    From my experience over the last few years... the average age of the attendee in the bookies ring was well over 60.... that tells you something about where the profession (on course) is headed. 
  • bradybrady    1,452 posts
    I was on course Diva
    Quite a few young there as well as hard core over 50s like myself
    Also lots of new people asking where are the bookies ?
    Surely at least 1 should have been there 
    For the General Public
    How hard is it ?
    Agree in part most Punters bet online esp With Betfair.
  • licklick    305 posts
    The bookies ring has been oh so boring for many many years. 

    What happened to the characters who used to yell out their odds, were better than tote odds, looked you in the eye and said "thank you". 

    Some of the drama went when the knob twisting boards went electronic. Once it was like an "auction" atmosphere, now its like a funeral parlour.

    No incentives, no excitement, no creativity, no humour, no nothing.

    No great loss unfortunately - they haven't evolved with the times.

    I'll bet 8/13 (font in red) they will be history next five years or sooner.

    Thunderstruck likes this post.

  • bradybrady    1,452 posts
    That was 15-20 years ago Lick

  • licklick    305 posts
    That I know / they haven’t evolved. It’s up to them to think outside the square- much as the corporate betting agencies have. The train has probably left the station - no on course crowds - 5 hour race meeting for 12 minutes of racing - 40 minute gaps for over priced drinks and food etc
  • Buddy123Buddy123    208 posts
    Nothing better than taking cash off the bookies.. ha
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    so true lick...i remember the spats i used to have with rod evans when i was punting. all was well, i'd go up to his office and have a laugh and a coffee and a chat. no settling, just a couple of mates having a chat.
    he had a board that contained dishonoured cheques....i'll just leave it at that.
    i could tell the story when his horse allegation won the perth cup and we went back to alan bonds place....
    :-\"
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    what i failed to mention, i feel a bit of fun went out of it was when those bloody electronic boards came in.
    the knob twisting boards added a bit of atmosphere....eg "board odds i'll lay"...now not a pharqueing peep...
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    I could tell the story when Rod Evans would be drunk at the piano bar at the Sheraton bemoaning that it cost $20,000 to fix a race.
    I wasn’t there.....just hear say.
    B-)
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    ^^ doubt that detto, he was a short half head away from being a teetotaller.
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    ^^ Doubt that he was drunk Falc or bemoaning the cost of fixing a race ? 
    I did not meet the man personally apart from him accepting my folding stuff on a Saturday afternoon.
    But Rod did own the Carlton Hotel from memory so maybe he did have the occasional tipple. 
    Just saying 

    :D
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    he rarely went into the pub, his office was external to the pub, but on the same premises, up the metal staircase and there to behold "mrs. doubtfire".
    always had good managers eg jack sheedy.
  • bookieloverbookielover    2,623 posts
    Now that your Premier is going to sort of open the border on November 14, My wife and I are sort of planning a return trip to Perth in February 2021 for our, what has almost become annual, 4 week holiday. 

    Mind you, if he insists on us spending the first two weeks locked in our  hotel room quarantining, we won't be coming, and neither will anyone else. No wonder your Tourism spokesperson said the other day, that they had lost $275 million in tourism revenue.

    We love going to all the race meetings at Ascot mid week and Saturday and Pinjarra, and Bunbury. 
    This year, there were at least three or four bookies operating every Wednesday. Mcormack, now retired, Cribb, Burrows and Lindsay.
    If there aren't any bookies in the public area, I won't go, not necessarily because I'm desperate to bet with them, if the price on offer is acceptable to me, I will.
    To me, it's a matter of principle. The club is denying me the ability to choose whether or not I want to take the bookies odds, or the tote. 
    I should note that the bookies are usually placed on the first floor of the grandstand in February because of the heat at that time of the year.
    What I can't understand, is that with so few members of the public attending mid week meetings, why not throw the members open to them? How many members even attend mid week? I would venture to say, not many. 

    I have noted that since Ascot reopened, Peter Cribb and Scott Thornett, if I can believe the Best Bookies site, haven't operated. 
    Does anyone know if either have retired? Or is Peter in Broome at the moment, I believe he owns a hotel there,  and will come back when the big meetings are on? Has Trevor decided not to work the mid weeks anymore?

    We all know where the future of bookmaking lies, and it's not a bright one.

    RWWA or whoever is responsible, have stubbornly denied the few on track bookies left, the opportunity to, at the very least, compete against the Corps. They can't offer best tote, top fluc, etc etc. That alone has hastened the demise of bookmakers in W.A.

    The last bastion of large, by today's standards anyway, numbers of bookmakers, is Victoria. Had it gone ahead, there were 51 bookies down to field at the  Warrnambool carnival, and around 85 -90 individual bookies, some with multiple stands bringing the total to over 100, would have fielded at Flemington. Most Country rings are controlled. More bookies wanting to field than are allowed, because of the limited number of patrons attending.

    When we eventually get back to some sort of normal, it will be interesting to see how many of our bookies will actually return to the track.

  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    detonator said:

    ^

    But Rod did own the Carlton Hotel from memory 
    Rod owned the whole block and those around it including the F Scotts nightclub block across the road
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    yeah slip, it really irked him that he could not get Rosens Chemist on the corner..
  • detonatordetonator    4,360 posts
    edited October 2020

    detonator said:

    ^

    But Rod did own the Carlton Hotel from memory 
    Rod owned the whole block and those around it including the F Scotts nightclub block across the road
    F Scott’s. Best nightclub in Perth in its day. Ahhhh the memories :x
  • ChrisChris    5,219 posts
    Scott Thornett is still going, might be off Best Bookies though.

    WA On course bookies are done for though, too hard to make a quid now. No comeback on the cards.

    The betting landscape has never been more intriguing now with consolidation of major players (Ladbrokes/Neds & Sportsbet/Beteasy)

    Some interesting lesser lights emerging but no one is daring to change the game. Not sure how the Playup / Palmerbet’s of the world survive.

    thefalcon, bookielover, hash likes this post.

  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    thats why i rarely go now, chris. its like being at a wake...
    is peter cribb still fielding?
  • spinkingspinking    3,739 posts
    Took over the mantle for the racing crew from Eagle one Deto for best nightclub
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    F Scotts Tuesday nights.. Ladies free cocktails night.  \:D/

    spinking likes this post.

  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    if rpe still owned it, i shudder to think what the "cocktails" consisted of. :-&
  • spinkingspinking    3,739 posts
    Wasn't the bloke that run it called Graham Hunter by memory. Always impeccably dressed handing round shooters to the babes hanging round him
  • spinkingspinking    3,739 posts
    Or grab a granny night Slip
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    edited November 2020
    spinking said:

    Wasn't the bloke that run it called Graham Hunter by memory. Always impeccably dressed handing round shooters to the babes hanging round him

    There was a manager called Paul who was always impeccably dressed. Hunter was general manager and the business ownership may have been part of the Bob Maher stable. Rod Evans I believe owned and was the lessor.

    spinking likes this post.

  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    7,743 posts
    Bookmaking at its peak included doubles bookmakers and concession only bookmakers and then you had the very lively eastern states ring at the back of the Ascot tote with Duncan McGougan and his gang of merry men
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    good old duncan, a good mate. drank a carton of cans over the day at the races then went to the coolabah tavern with russ roberts (the owner) his brother jimmy, hutchie the starter and various other occasional blow-ins.

    just remembered Rod also part-owned the now demolished Beaufort Hotel on the corner of newcastle and beaufort streets, the other part owner was a well known melbourne identity.
  • thefalconthefalcon    19,949 posts
    bookmakers, remember alan wells, ken gray, alan wormold.
    did you hear the story of alan wells on his way via train to the kal. round?
    he was a great mate of my dads, did his "settling" in bed on a sunday morning with a box of liquer chocolates and a carton of craven A.
  • paraleticparaletic    3,750 posts
    The Craven A darts had a cult following but they were the worst tasting cigarettes ive ever sampled

    JimmyPop likes this post.

  • licklick    305 posts
    EVENS, 10/9, 5/4, 11/8, 6/4, 13/8, 7/4, 15/8, 2/1, 9/4, 5/2, 11/4, 3/1, 13/4, 7/2,(then space for non starter) 15/4, 4/1, 9/2, 5/1, 11/2, 6/1, 13/2, 7/1, (15/2 maybe not sure), 8/1, 9/1, 10, 11,12,14, 15, 16, 20, 25, 33, 40, 50, 66, 100, 150 and 200/1 was about the max.

    This would confuse the modern day punter. 7/2 = $4.50 say what!!??
  • sonnysonny    1,056 posts
    It was the Cravan A miracle mile..
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