Northern racing fans are being offered a unique opportunity to be part of February’s “Racing Bonanza” in the Taranaki.
The Hawera Harness Racing Club is holding two grass track meetings over Waitangi weekend (Friday Feb 4, and Sunday Feb 6) with a huge day of gallops, including the Taranaki Cup, at New Plymouth Raceway on the Saturday (Feb 5).
To get as many people on-course as possible, Auckland-based Brendan Fleming is planning to charter a bus from Auckland and do a “roadie” to the ‘Naki for anyone with an interest in either codes.
“There will be 30 seats on the coach and I’m hoping to fill it”, says Brendan Fleming.
“People can go to one meeting or all three, there’s an absolute bonanza of racing in Taranaki over the long weekend.”
Fleming has strong ties to the region, with his brother Phil and cousin Willie both trainers in the province.
“I just want to do whatever I can to make the meetings a success,” says Fleming , “grasstrack racing at Hawera is always a spectacle.”
The trip south is expected to take between 6 and seven hours. The bus will leave Alexandra Park at 6 am on the Friday, and also do a pick up at Pukekohe (Franklin Training Centre). The plan is to arrive at Hawera before the first race.
“It’s for racing fans who love the idea of going to Taranaki, it could also work for those people in syndicates who have horses racing over the weekend, and don’t want to do the drive themselves.”
Prices for the whole trip, including the bus ride, accommodation and some meals, is likely to be between $615 and $780 (this depends on the type of accommodation required).
Fleming is urging anyone interested to get in touch with him quickly as the races are only three weeks away and he needs to confirm numbers as soon as possible with transport and accommodation providers.
Brendan Fleming can be contacted at : b_fleming@xtra.co.nz or 021 673212
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
Driving The Future Of Harness Racing
