Slanting mobile gate for Freehold

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 38

Slanting mobile gate for Freehold

By

JEFF SCOTT

The newly devised slanting mobile gate, first used at the Meadowlands harness racing track in North America earlier this year, is now being sought by the Freehold Raceway. In a similar concept to advanced starting positions on an athletic track, the slanting gate gives the outside horses a twometre advantage over those starting from the inside. With the exception of a few instances, most harness races in North America are run over the universal distance of one mile. “The slanted gate will be most advantageous,” said the Freehold racing secretary, Frank Ferone, recently. “On a half-mile track (the circumference of Freehold) racing fans would normally shy away from betting on post positions of seven and eight (the outside two barriers). With the slanted gate'fans can take a chance on the horse on the outside and it will be a big plus for horsemen too, because many owners will not race their horses on a

half-mile track if they draw wide.” The angle of the gate will be increased slightly if permission - is given for the gate to be used at the half-mile Freehold track. The angle currently set is for the circumference of the Meadowlands mile track. While the slanted gate is only in its infancy in North America, the idea gives plenty of food for thought further down the track to our own Addington Raceway and the controversial mile starting point, in particular. It may be within the realms of possibility that in a few years hence, staggered mobile dispatches at the Raceway could be in vogue. This type of fairer all-front-line start has the potential to create more aggressive speed racing, something the fans are keen for as we approach the 19905. The Chief Executive Officer for the N.Z. Harness Racing Conference, lan Mill, will get a firsthand look at the slanting gate when he visits the United States and Canada at World Conference level in September. His impressions will be eagerly awaited on his return.