Sunday race dates to be allocated soon

Press, 14 August 1989, Page 31

Sunday race dates to be allocated soon

PA Wellington There will be approximately a dozen Sunday race meetings this season. The figure of 12 was mentioned by the New Zealand Racing Authority as a likely number of Sunday meetings that could be held, according to the New Zealand Racing Conference chief executive-secretary, Hafford Poland. “I think it was also suggested that the 12 meetings would be held on six Sundays so there would be two meetings each of the days,” Mr Poland said.

A likely breakdown for the three racing codes is galloping and harness racing to stage five meetings each and the other two for greyhound racing. It may be several weeks before a firm indication will be given which clubs will race on Sundays, said the racing authority secretary, Mike Godber. “I think it would be a month or two away,” he said. He added that this month’s authority board meeting would look at the procedure events might take leading up to the confirmation of permits and the next board meeting tomorrow would be more crucial. “Obviously it would be useful if we had something well under way by then,” Mr Godber said. It is now up to the Racing Conference, the Harness Racing Conference and the New Zealand Greyhound Racing Association to make recommendations to the authority to which clubs should be given Sunday permits. A number of racing clubs have already indicated to the Racing Conference their interest in Sunday racing and the subject will be discussed at an executive meeting this Thursday, Mr Poland said. “We virtually have all the information we need,” he said. “There are about 10 applications but I think the executive would recommend a lesser number than that.” Sunday racing’can only

be staged between October of one year and April of the next year and Mr Poland said an already busy dates schedule is a major reason why clubs have not clambered for Sunday permits. “Some clubs may consider they have got enough racing as it is. We have to acknowledge that there is already a fair bit of racing in many districts, specially in the summer months.” The Harness Racing Conference' chief executive officer, lan Mill, said his executive will be consulting with clubs which appear best suited to Sunday racing before making recommendations to the authority. “I don’t think it will be a case of open slather for the clubs,” Mr Mill said. “It will largely be an executive recommendation.” Mr Mill agreed Sunday racing would not be worthwhile to many clubs because of the abundance of meetings. “It is clearly evident there are parts of the country that have become saturated with racing.” The greyhound association secretary, Ron Kilpin, said his sport would be happy with two or three meetings and clubs like Auckland, Wellington and * Christchurch were most likely to receive Sunday permits. He said because the meetings would be oncourse only betting affairs they needed to be staged close to large population areas. “The provincial areas in particular would, I think, struggle,” Mr Kilpin said. He added that increased costs — wages in particular — for a Sunday meeting would make greyhounds more vulnerable. “You have got to remember that a galloping or trotting meeting will generate $250,000 in oncourse turnover whereas a greyhound meeting will do only $40,000 to $50,000. The first Sunday meeting is being tipped for the Wairarapa Racing Club at Tauherenikau on Novem-. ber 26. <