Further boost for Filly of Year series

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 24

Further boost for Filly of Year series

The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association and Philip Morris (New Zealand), Ltd, co-sponsors of the Marlboro Filly of the Year series, vesterday announced a near 50 per cent increase in the promotional budget for this season’s series and recognition of the winning jockey. , , The 1977 series will be billed as the Marlboro $120,000 Filly of the Year Award. The gross stakes for the nine races in the series will be worth at least that much and may total more when one or two clubs finalise their programmes. Total stakes for the first series this is the fifth — which took in several events not now included, were little more than $70,000. The award of a $5OO trophy to the jockey of the winning filly will complete the recognition of the three principals associated with the Marlboro w'inner. The winning owner receives a cash award of $5OOO and last season a $lOOO award for the winning trainer was introduced.

The two sponsors anticipated that there may at times be difficulty in naming the recipient of the jockey’s award if the winning filly is handled by more than one rider during the season. In cases which are not clear-cut, the sponsors will determine the winner.

Philip Morris, whose annual contribution to the award has been about $15,000, expects to outlay upward of a further $lO,OOO on the 1977 series by way of promotion of the nine races. With the primary purpose of helping to boost attendances at the meetings where the races are run, the company will mount a photo-

graphic display of general racing interest in each city during the week before each race and on race dav will transfer the display to the track.

The day before each event one of two leading trainers and jockeys will attend the display to discuss racing with, and answer question from the public. The usual $5OO breeders’ premium will go to the breeder of the winner of each race in the series and points will be earned according to the stake offered for each race, as in the past. The nine races involved in the series are — the Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings on September 22; the Lowland Stakes at Masterton on October 9; the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham on October 23; the New Zealand One Thousand Guineas at Riccarton on November 13; the Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni on December 18; the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie on January 3; the New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on Januarv 29; the Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes at Awapuni on March 19 and the Great Northern Oaks at Ellerslie on April 16. Mansingh wins NZPA Sydney Mansingh (Wilkes—Starquita), the topweight with 57kg, set a track record in winning the $26,000 Newcastle Gold Cup in 2min 18.5 sec over 2250 m at Newcastle yesterday. The Tommy Smith-trained entire kicked clear with 500 m to go and jockey Kevin Langby took him past the post two lengths clear of Measure. Taras Regent, alao trained bv Smith and carrying 49kg, finished third, a nose behind measure.