REDUCED TOTE RETENTION WORKS A TREAT

Ian Fortune

The reduction of the Tote retention to 12.5% made a big difference at Shelbourne Park on Saturday night with the punters certainly forced into seeing the Tote as a viable option for putting their cash on the nose.

The reduced rate only applied to the win and place markets and a comparison of the official starting prices and the Tote returns make for fascinating reading. It was incredible how close the two were through the evening.

In fact, three of the eleven winners had identical returns. Droopys Kathleen was returned 2/5 and paid out at identical odds on the Tote. The same applied to Bockos Diamond (3/10) and Bombay Pat (5/2).

In a total of six of the eleven races, the Tote prices paid better than the official SP, albeit only marginally, while the SP was slightly better on three of the races.

It does make for encouraging reading and punters will take a second look at the tote prices on Saturday night when deciding whether to journey outside to the track bookmakers, who it has to be said are laying hard at present, or stay inside with the Tote. As punters, all you can ask for is value and options and, thankfully, they have both at present. Could a permanent Tote Retention reduction be on the way?   

Below are the official SPs and Tote win returns for Saturday night:

Race	Greyhound	Official SP	Tote Returns
1	Unanimous Roxy	1-4f	€1.60 (3-5)
2	Droopys Kathleen	2-5f	€1.40 (2-5)
3	Hawkfield Abbie	11-2	6.90 (5.9-1)
4	Miami King	9-4	€3.50 (5-2)
5	Carmac King	4-5f	€1.70 (7-10)
6	Ventry Faith	10-1	€8.90 (7.9-1)
7	Bombay Pat	5-2	€3.50 (5-2)
8	A Lucky Julie	9-1	€10.40 (9.4-1)
9	Carrick Aldo	11-10f	€2.20 (6-5)
10	Bocko Diamond	3-10f	€1.30 (3-10)
11	Darbys Queen	11-2	€7.90 (6.9-1)