Wellington states up

Press, 10 December 1982, Page 24

Wellington states up

PA Wellington Additional sponsorship has enabled the Wellington Racing Club to boost stakes at its cup meeting in January. The stake for the Wellington Racing Club Handicap on the final day has been increased by $5OOO to $15,000 and will be renamed the Terrace Regency Hotel Handicap. The distance remains at 2400 m. The Wellington Racing Club has increased the stake for the weight-for-age Trentham Stakes (2400 m on the second day to $15,000, a rise of $4500. Major stake increases and programme changes have also been made by the club to its feature meeting on March 5, 9 and 12. They include the placing of the North Island Challenge Stakes and the Wakefield Stakes on the second day of the meeting and a revamping of the Chalmers Stake’s. The Chalmers' stake has risen from $15,000 to $25,000 but the distance has been

reduced from 3200 m to 2400 m. “It’s a move to blend with the times,” a club secretary, Mr Brian Guthrie said. The Chalmers, no longer a group race, will be the major handicap over the three days of the meeting. To this end, the first three home in the U.D.C. Handicap on the first day and the Boulcott on the second, will gain automatic entry to the Chalmers, irrespective of weight. As well, the maximum rehandicap for the U.D.C. winner will be 2kg. To win the Boulcott will not incur a rehandicap. Weights for the Chalmers will be declared with firstday handicaps. the U.D.C., a 2200 m handicap, goes up from $15,000 to $20,000, but the 2000 m Boulcott will remain at $6OOO. The North Island Challenge Stakes, a weight-for-age $lO,OOO event, will move from the fi-st day to the second, with the stake unchanged. The Wakefield Challenge Stakes, the meet-

ing's major juvenile race, will be run on the second day instead of the third. The Wakefield at 1400 metres, goes up from $15,000 to $lB,OOO. The shift of the two races will help bolster the sagging fortunes of the middle day. The shift will not affect the final day. with the Chalmers, the DB 1600 and the St Leger still on the programme. By moving the North Island Challenge Stakes to Wednesday, that race could serve as a useful lead-up to the DB, a $15,000 event. The big mile on the first day, the 2ZB Golden Mile, will benefit by the Racing Authority's stakes subsidy scheme. It goes up from $30,000 to $32,000. One change has been made to the May meeting. It involves the deletion of an open sprint on the first day, with the Lumley on the second going up from $7500 to $lO,OOO. It is run over 1400 m and moves from the first day to the second.