Glamour rules at racing carnival

Auckland is glamming up for the inaugural Auckland Cup Week, which the local racing industry hopes will in time match the Melbourne Cup carnival and Christchurch's Cup Week.

The Auckland Racing Club and Auckland Trotting Club are betting on shifting some of the premier races to this month to create a week-long carnival of racing, fashion and entertainment to put the city in a party mood.

Over the next week, $2.1 million of prize money will be up for grabs at Ellerslie, including the $600,000 Auckland Cup and $600,000 Mercedes Derby Ellerslie.

Nearby Alexandra Park will host the $250,000 Auckland Trotting Cup.

The organisers and sponsors hope Auckland Cup Week will help to lift the city out of a big-events slump following the debacle over the V8 street race, failed bids for the Volvo and Global Challenge round-the-world yacht races and the failure to match Wellington's aggressive grab for events such as the World of Wearable Art Awards and a David Bowie concert.

Auckland Racing Club head Chris Weaver said rearranging the racing calendar was the biggest gamble in 149 years of racing at Ellerslie but he was confident Auckland Cup Week would become the city's biggest social and racing occasion.

The aim was to get a new, younger breed of people involved in racing by offering fashion and glamour events, including a $3 million makeover of the bars, restaurants and facilities at Ellerslie.

"What we have done is taken a very deliberate, aggressive approach to make it very female-friendly...and if we get the girls there, the boys won't be too far away," Mr Weaver said.

The main fashion day is at tomorrow's Derby Day, with the winner getting to keep a Mercedes Benz sports coupe. Other fashion events include a showcase of top designers including Trelise Cooper, Kate Sylvester, Adrian Hailwood, Liz Mitchell and RJC at Wednesday's Auckland Cup Day and a hat-making competition at Newmarket's Two Double Seven in partnership with the Newmarket Business Association.

During the Melbourne Cup, women are estimated to buy 48,000 hats, 35,000 pairs of shoes and 23,000 handbags.

Auckland Trotting Club chief executive Paul Heeney said the club was holding an extra Auckland Trotting Cup next Friday to give real impetus to Auckland Cup Week. The club ran the cup on December 31 but is expected to keep the event at the March date.

Mr Heeney said it would take a year or two to build up Auckland Cup Week to the level of cup week in Christchurch and attract people from outside Auckland and from Australia.

Auckland City events promotion manager Annabel Lush said the council was putting $40,000 in cash and kind towards Auckland Cup Week from an events budget of $1.2 million.

The council believes Auckland Cup Week could become one of about 10 "signature" events for the city.

Others are likely to include the Auckland Festival, Pasifika, Auckland Marathon, Rally of New Zealand and the Lantern Festival.


Ellerslie packages

Gate entry starts at $15, with $40 buying entry to all three days. There are cheaper rates for senior citizens.

At the other end of the scale, for $22,500 for the three days you can host up to 120 people in the Guineas III room, which includes a premium view of the track, fine dining, private tote facilities, plasma screens and air-conditioning. For groups of up to 150 people, options include the Pakuranga Hunt and two marquee package deals.

Gates open at 9.30am on Derby Day, and at 10am on the other days. The first races of the day start after noon, and the last races about 6pm.

Free parking is available in the public car park.

Three-day passes:
* General entry $40; Ascot Stand $100

Group or hosting options:
* Grandstand boxes, $1687.50 per day (three-day passes sold out), 6 people; Pakuranga Hunt room $16,875, 150 people;
* Skyline Suite $22,500, 120 people;
* Marquee Premier $20,250, 120 people;
* Marquee Classic $13,500, 120 people

What's on today
* New Zealand Bloodstock Racing Hall of Fame Gala dinner at the Ellerslie Events Centre to honour the first inductees to the Racing Hall of Fame.
* Auckland Trotting Club Race Meeting, Alexandra Park

http://www.aucklandcupweek.co.nz/shop/Auckland-Cup-Week