Auckland campaign for Another Bart?

Press, 9 August 1988, Page 36

Auckland campaign for Another Bart?

Special correspondent Auckland The leading Victorian trainer, Bob Knight, is seriously considering attempting a rich four-year-old mile series at Alexandra Park in February with the 1988 Australian Derby winner, Another Bart. Last season the Lion Red Mile series was held at Alexandra Park in March, which did not suit Knight or his son, Vin. The Knights were keen to have the brilliant Our Maestro in Auckland for the event, but, as the Lion Red Mile clashed with the Sydney Inter-Dominion carnival, they opted to stay in Australia. Our Maestro led all the way to score a handsome win in the Inter-Dominion Grand Final. The Auckland Trotting Club is planning to hold the series for four-year-olds at a revamped meeting in early February. Two semi-finals of the Lion Red Mile series will be run on February 4 and the final, 10 days later, will be televised live.

Robert Death, the racing secretary of the Auckland Trotting Club, said yesterday the details regarding the series will be finalised at a meeting today , between club officials and representatives of the sponsor. “The stake will be $125,000 for the final, at least, at this stage,” said Mr Death. “The format has yet to be confirmed, but the final will be run on a Tuesday (February 14) to facilitate live television coverage.” Knight said from Kilmore yesterday that he and Vin will be making an all-out assault on major stakes races this season in New Zealand and Australia. The Lion Red Mile series, all going well, will fit in nicely with the programme mapped out for Another Bart, which also won the South Australian and West Australian Derbys. “Vin and I have given it a lot of thought and we will be doing a lot of travelling this season for those rich races round Australia.”