More than $600,000 will be up for grabs between September and December in two new series designed to reward loyalty at Alexandra Park.
The latest Silk Road series for the Fillies and Mares reaches the halfway stage this Friday night while the Northern Metro Series for the Pacer and Trotters gets underway on October 18.
The series are part of the Look North strategy to revitalise racing in and around Auckland. Look North is a key component of The Future Starts Now strategy which coincided with the launch of the 2024/25 season earlier in the year.
The Silk Road Northern Spring series is in its first year and is all about encouraging, and rewarding up to R59 fillies and mares, with five $15,000 heats leading into a $30,000 final.
So far the series has been a Butcher benefit with David Butcher training and driving first heat winner You Little Beauty to beat Cyren Shard on September 13 and then son Zachary guiding Courtney Rose to victory for trainer Ross Houghton ahead of Akatea in the second heat on Saturday night.
The first two placed runners from each heat are automatic qualifiers for the final. The third heat will be this Friday, with heats four and five on October 4 and 11 before the $30,000 Final on October 18, which will be penalty free if a horse wins both a heat and the final.
On the same night as the final will be the two heats for each gait in the Northern Metro Series for the up to and including R59 3YO and older pacers and trotters.
Limited to 12 runners per heat the first five placed runners from each heat are automatic qualifiers for the $35,000 Finals to be run Friday 25 October 2024. The balance of the field to be selected at the club’s discretion from horses who competed in the Heats. Again, if a horse wins a heat and the final the win will be penalty free.
The heats and finals format will continue with eight Northern Metro series throughout November and December. The heats will be worth $16,000 and the Finals $35,000.
Total stakes will be $641,000 across the Silk Road Northern Spring Series and the Northern Metro Series for the Pacers and Trotters.
To see more on the Silk Road Fillies and Mares and the Northern Metro Series click here
Then December 20 will also see the inaugural running of the Golden Gait, a $1m race night with 10 races all worth $100,000. To be eligible 3YO and older horses must have had six starts at Alexandra Park between January 1 and December 6, 2024 while for the two-year-olds it’s four starts. Racing in the Metro heats and Finals contributes to Golden Gait eligibility
To see more on the Golden Gait click here
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