Carnival opens with Daffodil Race Day

From left, Sarah van der Kley (The Hits), John Walker (Cancer Society), Trudy Kirk (Cancer Society), Martin Good (The Hits), Jason Fleming (Hawke's Bay Racing), Greg Howie (Hawke's Bay Racing), John Bostock (JB Organics) at the Media launch of the Hawke's Bay Racing Spring Carnival, with sponsor JB Organics. Photo / Glenn Taylor

The J B Organics Spring Racing Carnival is fast approaching and aims to donate up to $20,000 to the Cancer Society this year.

One of the country's top five racing events, the annual carnival kicks off next Saturday with the Makfi Challenge Stakes, supporting Daffodil Race Day.

The carnival has 29 races held across three meetings - August 30, September 20 and October 4 - with $1.5 million in stakes.

Hawke's Bay Racing general manager Jason Fleming said 100 per cent of the opening day's gate takings would be donated to the Cancer Society's Hawke's Bay branch, with hopes to raise $20,000 for the cause.

Ticket sales were 25 per cent ahead of last year's sales for the carnival, which would see 15,000 punters pass through the gates across the three race meets - about half would come from outside the region.

"Racing brings a tremendous amount of outside investment into Hawke's Bay," Mr Fleming said.

Hawke's Bay Racing marketing and events manager Greg Howie said the Makfi Challenge Stakes was a family day out with games and live music.

The Hits Hawke's Bay breakfast hosts Martin Good and Sarah van der Kley would be organising kid's games such as sack races.

Cancer Society Hawke's Bay centre manager Trudy Kirk said the chairty was "hugely thankful" for the contribution.

The Cancer Society had collected money during last years' Spring Racing Carnival, but this year a fully-fledged partnership had developed, with Daffodil Day falling a day before the carnival's opening, on Friday, August 29.