by Duane Ranger
The North Island Standardbred Breeders Association will launch a Winter Bonus Series for pacing and trotting fillies and mares, thanks to the co-operation of both the Auckland Trotting Club and Waikato – Bay Of Plenty Harness.
The ATC’s Racing Manager, Regan Cotter, said the NISBA had recently approached Franklin Park General Manager Karen Blanchard about the concept.
“The NZSBA wanted to get a six-race series off the ground throughout the winter months, to promote fillies and mares racing in the upper North Island.
“After consultation with the soon-to-be elected Cambridge Raceway Operations Manager, David Branch; Harness Racing New Zealand North Island Handicapper Kevin Smith; Cathy Shaw (of NISBA); Karen; and myself, we came up with a six-race series comprising three races each at Alexandra Park and Cambridge Raceway,” Cotter said.
He said every filly and mare (pacer or trotter, non-winner or race winner) who raced at any of these meetings, will accumulate points in their respective races.
The points will be 10 for first; six for second; three for third; and one for fourth.
Cotter said at the end of the series, the filly or mare with the highest amount of points accrued, across the six meetings would receive a $3,000 breeding voucher from the NISBA.
“This is a great initiative and the Auckland Trotting Club is proud to be able to support the concept. We encourage owners and trainers to get behind this series and chase down what is a very nice prize.
“The best part of the series is that every trotting or pacing non-winning or winning filly or mare is included, and has an even chance of been crowned the winner, come the end of the series on September 7,” Cotter said.
“A full leader-board will be available each week on the Alexandra Park & Cambridge Raceway websites (www.alexpark.co.nz/racing and www.cambridgeraceway.co.nz),” he added.
The Series will be staged at Alexandra Park on July 28, August 11, and August 25; and at Cambridge Raceway on August 3, August 17, and September 7.
Meanwhile Branch, said he was pleased to see a series that encompassed both Alexandra Park and Cambridge Raceway.
“We have a limited pool of horses racing up here, so it is great to see a series that’s open to all fillies and mares regardless of where they race.
“Hopefully the flow on is that we see horses racing, where they may not have usually in order to get more points,” Branch said.
Cotter and Branch are the future of harness racing in the north. The two racing administrators are both 27.
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