New series to boost juvenile competition

Press, 8 May 1985, Page 53

New series to boost juvenile competition

By

W. R. CARSTON

Two-year-old racing in Canterbury next season will get a considerable boost if a new series of races comes to fruition.

“We are still at the planning stages yet but feel certain that this promotion by the Canterbury-Westland Owners and Trainers’ Association in conjunction with four Canterbury clubs will get off the ground,” said Malcolm Aim, secretary of the Canterbury Jockey Club, yesterday. The clubs involved in the promotion will be the Canterbury Jockey Club, the Ashburton County Racing Club, the Hororata Racing Club and the North Canterbury Racing Club. Stakes and bonuses for the seven-race series, to be known as the Golden Thoroughbred Series, will be in excess of $150,000, according to Mr Aim. Stake levels for each of

the six races leading up to a $30,000-plus Final will be no less than $BOOO.

There will be bonus prizes for both trainers and jockeys with special additional bonuses for any capable of saddling or riding the winners of five of the seven races.

Incorporated in the series will be a special Triple Crown prize which will go to the connections of any juvenile capable of winning each of three selected races in the series. Five of the races will be run at Riccarton, and the Canterbury Jockey Club will stage four of them. The first two races in the series will be at the C.J.C. summer meeting on February 1 and 6. The third race will be at the Ashburton County Racing Club's meeting on March 11 then it will be back to Riccarton three days later for the Hororata Racing Club’s meeting on

March 14. The fifth race in the series will be at the North Canterbury Racing Club’s meeting at Rangiora on March 24 and the C.J.C. will stage the last two events on the first and third days of the Easter meeting on March 31 and April 5.

Although it has yet to be decided by the C.J.C. programme committee it is expected that the Welcome Stakes, traditionally run at the New Zealand Cup meeting in November, will become one of the races in this series. If the move is approved it will be moved ■r to either the summer or Easter fixtures. It is expected that registrations for the series will be taken on December 2 and nominations for all races will be taken as one on January 6. Acceptances fees will apply of only to horses which run in the individual races in the series. The series will be run on a points system. There will be provision for late entries but the late entry fee will be substantial. “We are hoping to attract two-year-olds from all racing districts but have to guard against some topliner joining in cheaply towards the end of the series and scooping the pool,” said Mr Aim. Because of the incentives Mr Aim feels that this ’ series will create much in- ’ terest. “Two-year-old races can certainly do with a 1 boost,” he said. “Previously the only race for horses in , this age group to carry a $lO,OOO stake in the South ’ Island was the Welcome Stakes.”