Many southerners for Auckland meeting

Press, 11 May 1977, Page 26

Many southerners for Auckland meeting

Special Correspondent Auckland The outstanding trotter, Nigel Craig, and last year’s Auckland Trotting Cup winner, Bolton Byrd, are among 12 South Island horses which | will be flown from Christchurch for the Rowe Cup 1 Meeting at the opening of. Alexandra Park, on Saturday; night. With four others coming by road. Southern represen- i tation- will be the biggest at! ' an Auckland Trotting Club; i fixture for several years. Nigel Craig and Bolton Byrd, along with Mighty Lee, lisa Voss, Armbro Lady and the “boom” three-year--old trotter Even Speed will arrive early on Friday afternoon. A flight on Saturday afternoon will bring Adios Charm. Charlie Wood, Kan- , cho, Lord Moose, Dupreez and Fancy Matilda. Those coming by road are; Mary Dhu, Waipounamu,; Waitaki Gamble and Rodney' Dale. The flights were chartered, ;by the A.T.O. With a further' ■increase recently in the cost! transporting a’ horse from! Christchurch (now 8780), the club felt it only fair to give' a bigger subsidy to owners, i At $3OO per horse, an in-! crease of $lOO, the club’s share of the cost is $3600. This is a straight-out! .grant and is not, affected by;

| any stakemoney won by the (visitors at the three-night ■meeting. It is money well spent. As has been proved many times, the presence pf a sizable number of South Island horses has a markedly beneficial effect on gate receipts and totalisator turn'over. In the case of Southern [horses which contest the Rowe Cup, which is on the third night, it will be a, fiarly cheap trip. As well as; The subsidy, unplaced horses ! further back than fifth (worth $425) each receive $3OO.