Limit on stakes questioned

Press, 18 November 1989, Page 38

Limit on stakes questioned

The Banks Peninsula Trotting Club has asked the New Zealand Harness Racing Conference to reconsider its decision to put a limit of $4OOO on the stakes for maiden races at the club’s Sunday meeting on December 10. This will be the first Sunday trotting meeting in New Zealand and, according to Banks Peninsula president George Mugford, the club wants to retain its customary maiden stakes of $5500

in order to keep faith with owners and trainers. The chief executive officer of the conference, lan Mill, said yesterday that the request would be considered by executive members over the next few days, but he did not believe the $4OOO limit should be changed. He said the success of Sunday racing had yet to be determined and the executive had thought it wise to keep stakes down to a

reasonable level in the first year. “In the case of the Banks Peninsula licence, an objection was received from the Waimate Trotting Club, which races on December 9, and will now face competition for Canterbury interest in its meeting. “It must be remembered that the Sunday dates were set this year after the season’s programme had been decided. Next season it will be quite different,” said Mr Mill.