$l00,000-plus sponsored series for two-year-olds

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 38

$l00,000-plus sponsored series for two-year-olds

By

W. R. CARSTON

The Auckland-based printing and publishing group, Image International, is to sponsor the third richest race on the trotting calendar in 1984. The series, which is open to two-year-old pacers sired by New Zealand-based stallions and foaled in this country, is to be called the Image International N.Z. Sires’ Stakes Series, it will comprise a series of qualifying heats, five semi-final heats worth $6OOO each and a $lOO,OOO final to be run at the Franklin Trotting Club’s meeting at Alexandra Park in Auckland on Saturday, May 26. All qualifying heats, the semi-finals, ar.d the final will be run over a distance of one mile from behind the mobile

barrier. There will be a maximum of 10 starters in each event, with six to start from the front line and four from the second line. Only current two-year-olds for which the yearling nomination payment and the two-year-old sustaining payment have been made are eligible to contest the series. No late entry payments apply to the series. All qualifying heat winners will automatically qualify for the semi-finals. All correctly nominated two-year-olds which win a penalty-bearing totalisator race will be exempt from contesting a qualifying heat and shall also automatically qualifying for a start in a semi-final. The remainder of the fields for the semi-finals will be selected from performances at

the qualifying heats. Qualifiers shall have the right to start in only one semi-final. The first of the qualifying heats for the series will be held at Addington Raceway today. These begin to 10.30 a.m. as a lead-up to the normal Wednesday barrier trails. The venues and dates for the remaining qualifying heats are: Alexandra Park, March 7; Wyndham, March 12; Cambridge Raceway, March 13; and Palmerston North and Forbury Park, March 18. The New Brighton Trotting Club will stage the first of the semi-final heats. These will be run at Addington Raceway on March 21. The second series of semifinal heats will be run at the Timaru Trotting Club’s meeting, at Washdyke, on April 7. The Morrinsville Trotting Club

will stage the third semi-finals, at Cambridge, on April 10 and the fourth semi-finals will be held at the Auckland Trotting Club’s meeting at Alexandra Park on April 13. The following day the Invercargill Trotting Club will stage the last of the semi-final heats at Ascot Park. Speaking at a function to mark the sponsorship, the managing director of Image International, Mr James Richards, said that sponsorship was an important element in the company’s publicity programme for 1984. “The series is sure to generatye public interst and provide a springboard for further planned promotional activities,” he said. “The sponsorship will also further promote the growing sport of harness racing/)