TROTTING Stakes up for meetings of New Brighton club

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32667, 24 July 1971, Page 8

TROTTING Stakes up for meetings of New Brighton club

, Stakes have been increased by only $9OO for the New Brighton Trotting Club’s spring meeting on Saturday, September 4, and its September meeting a fortnight later, but the position as far as owners and trainers are concerned is much better than it appears. The stakes for almost all classes have been increased, but changes in limits for some races have resulted in fluctuations in the totals to be paid each night.

“We have had to exercise a certain amount of care in framing our stakes schedule,” said the president, Mr J. R. Hartley, when asked for the reason for what appear to be small increases after a profit of $16,764.

“We had four meetings during the current season, have five next term. The T.A.B. payment will take into account only four meetings and this income will have to be spread over an extra meeting. “Increases of from $5O to $l5O have been applied to stakes for ordinary handicap races to be run at the five meetings. Stakes for only three feature races to be run at the club’s two meetings in September have been increased, and they are up by $150,” said Mr Hartley.

“Stakes for other feature races will be reviewed after the meetings in September and it is quite conceivable they will go up, too. Our main promotion this season will be the Miracle Mile in December.”

Mr Hartley said that stakes for supporting races at the club’s five meetings this season will be at least equal to those on the proposed minimum stake schedule which was not adopted at the annual meeting of the Trotting Conference earlier in the month at Alexandra.

In the pacing section the club will pay $9OO for races for maiden pacers, an increase of $lOO. Stakes for races with limits of from 2:19 to 2:16 have been in-

2:19 to 2:16 have been< increased, by $5O, while those for horses on 2:15 to 2:13 have been increased by $lOO. The stakes for trotters on from 2:18 to 2:14 have been increased by $lOO, while the rise for 2:13 horses is $l5O. RACES SWITCHED The New Brighton Stakes, for three-year-olds with a stake unchanged at $l6OO, has been switched from the first to the later meeting in September. It has been replaced by the Raceway Stakes, a $1450 (up $5O) mobile-start race over 10 furlongs for 2:17 class horses. The stake for the A. E. Laing Handicap, an invitation race, has been increased bv $l5O to $3250. The distance of this race is unchanged at 13 furlongs and it will again be a race giving New Zealand Cup aspirants a chance of qualifying for the $30,000 race in November.

The limit of the Introductory Handicap, for trotters,

has been let out one second to 2:18 and the stake will be $l3OO. Once again the back limit on the race will be 2:16.

The Em Smith Handicap, also for trotters, has been tightened one second and it will now cater for horses on 2:14 and faster. The stake will be $2500, against $2lOO last year for the slower class. The distance of the Avon Handicap, for 2:19 class pacers, has been increased from 13 furlongs to two miles. RACE DROPPED

The race for 2:14 and 2:13 class horses, the Seaview Stakes, has been dropped and it will now cater for 2:17 a

:lass horses over 13 furlongs from a mobile start. This is one of the major changes on the programme for September 18 when the main race will be the O. Hutchinson Handicap, catering for horses from 2:13 to 2:11. It will be run over 13 furlongs for a stake of $2750, an increase of $l5O. The same increase has been applied to the Ordeal Handicap, an invitation race for trotters which will now be worth $2750. It will carry a trophy and be run over 13 furlongs. The T. E. Johnston Stakes will cater for horses on 2:15 and 2:14. Previously a mobile start race, it will be started from a stand. The stake will be $2OOO, an increase of $lOO. No other races have had their limits or distances affected, but all will carry increases in stakes. The two programmes are subject to approval by the conference.