Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Fifty years ago, jackpot fever swept the country as thousands of punters thronged race courses throughout the country in their search for the mythical pot of gold.

The vision of Bay of Plenty Racing Club President Mr WS Holland and live wire club administrator Ian McEwan, which kicked off with a modest pool of just $733 on the 22nd March 1969, gripped the country until the Government changed the rules around five years later.

The old sweepstake betting which was in vogue before the turn of the (twentieth) century, had never been abolished, so jackpot betting was legal as long as the entire pool was redistributed to the investors.

National print, television and radio headlines were created, when Te Aroha carrier Peter Moran scooped the pool at the Matamata Racing Club winter meeting on July 1, 1970. Moran scored a massive $482,687 return for an outlay of just two dollars giving Te Aroha more publicity that it had enjoyed for years.

Last weeks' Sideline Sid blog mentioned Te Puna Maori All Black David Borrell. The Te Puna rugby legend, wrote his name into Bay of Plenty Rugby history, when he scored all the Bay's points against the 1921 South African side, in the Springboks 17-9 win at Arawa Park in Rotorua.

Along with rugby, Borrell followed horse racing all his adult life and loved nothing better than a day on the punt at the races.

On July 31, 1971, Borrell was again the focus of attention when he scooped a massive $276, 43.20 at the Te Awamutu races, being the sole entry to select the required six winners. The magnitude of Davie Borrell's pot of gold can be glimpsed from the countries annual inflation calculator, which puts the value of a 1971 dollar at $15.49 today.

One of the final nails in the jackpot coffin, came at the Taumarunui Racing Club annual meeting at Te Awamutu on July 29, 1972 with a mammoth $831,564 up for grabs. The drawing power of the big pots was shown with an estimated crowd of thirty thousand punters, with cars camping outside the course the previous evening.

Controversy took centre stage after the running of the last race at the biggest pot in the country. The day ended in turmoil, when Nelsonian who was first horse past the post in the last race of the jackpot, was relegated. Protracted court action took place before the payout was finally made on the official placings on the day, many months later.

The popularity of the sweepstake jackpots spelt their end in the 1973/74 racing season. Treasury was chagrined at receiving no gaming tax. While the clubs reaped the benefit through increased turnover and gate receipts - police and the racecourse inspectors were concerned at the security problems posed by such large amounts of untraceable cash in one place and the hand written forms were a temptation for forgery.

Today, the huge crowds that thronged to the countries racecourses chasing the jackpot gold are just distant memories, with much of the current wagering conducted through TAB on-line accounts.