Racing and trotting New Brighton Cup stake now $8000

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 23

Racing and trotting New Brighton Cup stake now $8000

By

G. K. YULE

l he New Brighton Cup will not be run under invitation conditions this season. Instead it will be an open handicap race with a front of C 8 while the stake has been increased by $5OO to $BOOO.

‘‘Normally we have run the race in the autumn, but because of the Inter-Domi-nion carnival in March it was decided to bring the Cup forward to our February 19 meeting,” said the club's president, Mr Bruce Woods. “We changed the limit to give those horses on C 8 and C 9 a chance to race from their correct marks and not be competing on level terms under invitation conditions with open class horses.” he said. ‘‘Those C 8 and C 9 horses have had virtually no handicap racing to suit them this season. They have usually been behind the limit in races with fronts of C 6 and C 7.” The New Brighton club has framed programmes for its three meetings to be held in the summer and autumn so that trainers can plan ahead. The main race for trotters

i|on the February 19 meeting! t will carry a stake of $36001 -! and will have a front of C 5. ; t j This will enable open class,' e horses to compete and - } should they win they will ? not affect their ordinary ; handicapping assessments. The Ballins Industries Ce--3 lebrity Stakes, for three--1 year-olds, will be another I highlight that night. Run t over one mile from a mobile 5 start, it will carry a stake of ; $5500, an increase of $5OO » over last year. Horses assessed at C 7 and 5 faster will contest the Max ’ Harvey Handicap, the fea- . ture race at the meeting to ’ be held on Friday March 30. six days after the end of the , Inter-Dominion carnival. The stake, subsidised by Mr Harvey, will be $6500, 3 and the race will be run [ over 3200 m. The Nevele R. Stud I I Stakes, for three-year-old 1 1 fillies, has had its stake increased by $3OO to $2BOO. si The stake for the New

Zealand Oaks, to be run on Anzac Day, has been increased by $lOOO to $13,000. Once again a race with a C 5 front has been included for trotters. The stake has been increased $4OO to $3600 and it will be run over 2600 m, instead of 3200 m last year. Pacers assessed from C 6 to C 9 will be able to contest the $3900 Army Handicap over 2600 m. Last year there was no back limit on this race.

The Maiden Event, a nontotalisator event with a stake of $lBOO, will this season be restricted to probationary drivers.

A non-totaiisator race for two-year-old trotters will be run on March 30, the stake for this event being $5OO. Stakes for all races at the three meetings have been increased and the total for the three nights is up by $9600 over the corresponding meetings last year.