NZ METRO TC ANN0UNCE STAKE ENHANCEMENTS
The NZ Metropolitan Trotting Club (NZMTC) have announced a range of enhancements to its basic stakes structure, commencing from Friday August 26.
Basic stakes will increase handsomely at Friday night fixtures.
Three-win and faster races will carry a stake of $12,500, with 1-2 win front races to be run for $10,000 and maidens for $8000.
“This represents a significant increase in basic stake levels at our Friday night fixtures,” said Addington Raceay CEO Shane Gloury.
“This basic stakes structure wil apply to all of our Friday night meetings, except for October 21, which will take a back seat to the Super Feature Flying Stakes meeting at Ashburton (three days later) and our November 18 meeting, which is only one week after our NZ Cup carnival.”
The stakes enhancements have been made possible from improved trading results for the Club and from a change in stakemoney structure at Addington Premier meetings.
For Premier meetings at Addington, 3-win and faster races will be worth $12,500, while 1-2 win front races will be conducted for $10,000.
Minimum stake levels on Christchurch Casino NZ Trotting Cup Day will be $20,000, while Lindauer Raceday (Show Day) will carry minimum basic stake levels of $15,000.
The NZMTC will conduct four Thursday night fixtures this season. The stakes for these meetings will range from $7000 for maidens through to $8000 for 2-win and faster aces.
Two Saturday night meetins will be conducted as part of the continuation of the Saturday night trial in October and December. Stakes levels on these meetings will be in line with Thursday night levels.
Stakes for Tuesday graduation races will remain at $3000, while all non-premier and non-Tuesday meetings will continue to have one $5000 race programmed to cater for horse population and budgetary requirements.
Penalty free races when conducted on Thursday and Friday meetings will also carry a lesser stake due to their penalty-free nature.
NZMTC Chief Executive Shane Gloury believes the stakemoney enhancements will be extremely well received by industry participants.
“Our Club is conscious of the need to provide healthy basic stake levels in the lower classes for the majority of horses, owners and trainers,” he said.
“Under the revised structure there will be 25 racemeetings at Addington during the season where 1 and 2 win horses will be able to race for a minimum stake of $10,000, where 3-win and faster horses will be able to race for a minimum stake of $12,500.”
“Despite turnover reductions throughout the industry in recent years, our Club has been proactive in pursuing initiatives to grow revenues and to drive efficiencies throughout our business in challenging times.”
“It is pleasing that these initiatives have started to pay dividends for the benefit of our stakeholders,” said Gloury.
Prominent Canterbury-based trainer and driver Mark Jones echoed the sentiments expressed by Gloury.
“This is a very pleasing outcome for harness racing participants in Canterbury and the South Island,” Jones said.
“It is great that owneres and trainers will be able to race for healthy stake levels throughout their entire season at Addington. I commend the Club on their hard work and their initiatives that have led to this result.”
An announcement on feature race stakes for 2011-12 at Addington Raceway will be made by the NZMTC within the next week.
Courtesy of Addington Raceway