By Michael Guerin
There was light at the end of the tunnel yesterday.
After watching Australia's leading tracks announce major stake rises in recent weeks the Auckland Trotting Club was yesterday able to fight back.
The ATC has revealed major stakes boosts not only for next season but over the following five years which will greatly reduce the gap between stakes in Auckland and those available in Sydney and Melbourne.
They have also introduced a bold new initiative to pay appearance money to all owners.
The bottom line is horses who race in the grades at Alexandra Park will be just as well off as those who chase the Aussie riches.
From August 1 the minimum stake for any class five or faster race at the Park will be $15,000.
That compares favourably with the $A17,500 stakes for the same class of horse racing at Harold Park on a Friday night.
The Alexandra Park races come with the major plus of not requiring expensive return horse flights to Sydney, let alone the extra expenses and risks associated with travelling a horse.
Lower grade stakes will also be raised at Alexandra Park next season and the increases will be greatly boosted over the next five seasons - in three years the ATC's minimum stake will be $8000.
The ATC is committed to putting an extra $350,000 into stakes every season for the next six years. That means an extra $350,000 next season, $700,000 the following season and so on until in six years $3,250,000 more will go into stakes than was offered this season.
Much of that money will come from returns on developments at Alexandra Park, with the petrol station erected on one corner of the property just the tip of the development iceberg.
The ATC will also increase its feature race stakes, with next season's Auckland Cup likely to be worth $250,000 and there are plans for it to go higher.
The club is also planning to look after the owners of racing's battlers.
In a surprise new incentive, every starter at Alexandra Park will receive appearance money.
Horses which finish between 5th and 13th in their races will receive 1.5 per cent of the total stake, which equates to about $90 for a maiden and obviously goes higher further up in the classes.
And breeders won't be left out in the cold. The new stakes structure will have money allocated for the breeder of every horse which starts in a group race at Alexandra Park.
ATC president Brian Meale was quick to point out the stakes boosts were not a knee-jerk reaction to stakes rises in Australia.
"We have put a lot of time into the better utilisation of Alexandra Park and we are now seeing the first stage of the dividends from that work," Meale said.
"These developments are sufficiently advanced that we believe we can give the rest of the harness racing industry a signal.
"The outlook for the club is positive and owners and trainers can look forward to substantially higher stakes over the next few seasons."
Meale was satisfied with improvements made to the racenight facilities at Alexandra Park - including the new sponsors' room - and said the club was looking at its business options, including selling naming rights for Alexandra Park.
The stakes boosts capped a good week for the ATC, with last Friday's minor meeting attracting a crowd of well over 3000.
Horse Racing: Huge stakes boost for Alexandra Park
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