Races to help vital service

TOP SERVICE: The Life Flight Trust is certain to be a winner on the day.

Punters and picnickers taking in the horse racing at Tauherenikau on March 9 will have the opportunity to help out a vital lifesaving service.

The Masterton Racing Club will not be charging entry to the raceday, asking instead that people enter by donation to the Life Flight Trust.

The trust will not be passively receiving donations either and will be hosting a barbecue as a further fundraising venture as well as rattling buckets around the course to capture the loose change from punters enjoying a great day's racing action.

The Life Flight Trust provides 24-hour service for injured and critically ill people and is very active in Wairarapa.

It costs the trust $2500 each time the helicopter makes its way to Wairarapa, and throughout the greater Wellington region it is summoned on average once every six hours.

Apart from having the trust as its charity partner, the Masterton Racing Club is planning a top day for those who like a flutter.

It will feature the Masterton Cup to be raced over 2050m for a stake of $20,000, supported by seven races, with total stakes for the day being $79,000.

A Punters Club will be run, with recently successful club tipster Dave (Tubs) Wright doing the honours.

Wright ran the Punters Club on behalf of the Wairarapa Racing Club at its New Year meeting and on Waitangi Day.

At New Year he turned a $10 ticket investment into $39 and on Waitangi day $10 into $29.

One confident club punter who had enjoyed the spoils of the New Year meeting re-invested on Waitangi Day, buying 10 tickets for $100, and without visiting the tote on his own behalf took home $290 on Wright's picks.

The Punters Club on March 9 will cost $10 a ticket and will be held from race 2 to 7 inclusive.