Racing: Meeting gets record numbers

Tauranga's Christmas at the Races is a hot ticket for festive parties. Photo / File

The highly-anticipated start of the summer racing carnival begins at the Tauranga racecourse from 12.35pm today.

Expectations are high that the day will be one to remember, with perfect weather forecast. The outstanding on-course facilities cater for all needs and corporate marquee areas on the grass in front of the main stands will be quickly snapped up.

Make sure you reserve your spot early as packages include parking, admission, bottled water and racebooks and are likely to sell out quickly.

There is plenty of winning up for grabs on the races, but on-course punters could also win dinner at a top local restaurant with the racing club's Losing Tickets Second Chance Draws.

On the track, the meeting has attracted record numbers of nominations, meaning full fields right through the day and the need for two rating 75 benchmark 1400m races, spreading the day's card out to nine races.

Race 7, the Kiwi Bus Builders, and race 8, Young Read Woudberg, Chartered Accountants, are the 1400m features likely to attract most attention from punters.

Racing Tauranga club committee member and on-course trainer Jim Pender says the meeting is a very important one on the calendar and a big crowd is expected.

"The fields are really good and I have never really seen it before where they had to split a 75 rating race," he said.

"Normally it is one of the maiden races but the nominations were that big for that particular race they have made two out of it."

Pender has several horses running and shared his thoughts on two of them, both ridden by Mark Du Plessis.

"Sea Major is in race 8 and has won at Tauranga before. She ran a very good second at her last start and is locally owned by Colin Major and his son Brett.

"She is at the bottom of the rating and is a 65 rating horse and I have put her in a 75 rating race so she gets a weight relief.

"She is only little so rather than go round with 58 and a half kilos she is running with 54.

"Call The Shots is in race 6 has drawn very wide and has got top weight of 59kg which makes it hard but is worth watching."

There will be plenty of local horses for punters to follow today. Other Western Bay trainers with horses running include Brian McKeagg, Nigel Mortimer and Steve Tyler.

Christmas at the Races

*First race: 12.35pm.
*Last race: 5.27pm.
*Gates: Open 9.30am.
*Admission: $10, under 18yrs free.