Forbury Park deletes fast-class pacing races

Press, 23 August 1984, Page 30

Forbury Park deletes fast-class pacing races

By

G. K. YULE

Racing opportunities for horses attempting to qualify for the New Zealand Cup on November 6 are going to be reduced by two as a result of a decision by the Forbury Park Trotting Club. The club has deleted C 7 and faster races from each night of its spring meeting to be run on October 6 and 13. The club will now have a race for pacers assessed at C 3 and not faster than C 4 on each night of the meeting. Both races will be run over 2200 m for a stake of $3550. A full C 4 stake will be paid to a winner from that asses-

ment. The committee had made the decision reluctantly, said the secretary, Mr Noel Vallely, but felt the action had to be taken because of the club’s economic situation and also because there was a doubt about the availability of sufficient horses. The C 7 races at last season’s spring meeting carried Stakes of $5650 and were won by Enterprise and Joy Boy. The invitation race for trotters on the second night of the meeting has also been dropped. A new race on October 6 will be a $4OOO event for

three-year-olds over 2700 m. CO and Cl horses will start from the front, C2 and C 3 horses from 10m and C 4 and faster from 20m. A similar $4OOO race for four-year-olds will be . included in the second night programme. Stakes for the two nights will be $52,700, against $59,545 last season. While programmes for the rest of the season have not been decided on, it seems likely that the club will seldom cater for pacers assessed much faster than C 3 and C 4 in ordinary handicap events. It is intended to retain the four-year-old series usu-

ally run in January and the Forbury Juvenile Stakes in March. It also seems likely that the Dunedin Trotting Cup will be retained on the programme for April 20 next. The club has accepted the invitation from the Sires’ Stakes Board to run a semifinal of the Image Inter-, national Stakes on Thursday, April 4, two nights, before the New Zealand Welcome Stakes at Addington Raceway. The club is confident that by loosening classes and reducing total stakes it can return to a profit situation.