By MIKE DILLON
One real problem faces the Auckland Racing Club's planning for New Zealand's biggest raceday of the year on January 1.
And it's not Y2K.
That may be a bit of a concern - imagine if the totes came down on a day when you can reasonably expect $6 million to be bet on 10 races.
No, it's guessing how many people will arrive at Ellerslie.
Anticipating numbers is always hazardous, but who can possibly tell how many will go racing after what will be one of the biggest nights of a lifetime for most people.
It's a fair bet most are only just firming up what they will be doing New Year's Eve.
The big question in that is, will it include seeing the entire night through? And, if so, will that mean they will go racing the next day, almost without pause.
A planner's nightmare.
"It will either mean it will be enormous for us or it will eat into the normal crowd," says Auckland Racing Club chief executive David Lloyd, who has set up one of the biggest days in the ARC's history.
"But no matter how much thought you put into estimating the crowd, it is going to be a guess."
With the $500,000 Blue Star Auckland Cup, $250,000 McDonogh Railway, a parade of past champions, a race for those who used to ride them and the $75,000 Auckland Airport Millennium Steeplechase, the day looks pretty sharp.
Two Mercedes-Benz will be given away, one in a draw for everyone who attends any of the four days.
And don't worry, the totes will not crash, the Auckland Racing Club has back-up generators which can keep things going if a Y2K power supply problem eventuates.
"We can run 80 per cent of the totes from the generators," said Lloyd.
"The biggest problem for us would be if there was no water supply. But we've done exhaustive tests on Y2K compatibility and we're confident there will be no hitches."
Except of course if 400 dozen oysters, 200 crayfish 1000 pies and 900 sandwiches are left over if racegoers are too bilious to eat.
And there will be 11, not 10 races to take in the Millennium Steeplechase. A day not to miss after a night not to miss.
Racing: ... as Ellerslie readies for Millennium
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