Racing: ATC move to give Auckland racing its greatest carnival

Auckland is to get a cup week to rival Christchurch's annual racing extravaganza - which will mean two Auckland Trotting Cups this season.

In one of the most radical moves in its history, the Auckland Trotting Club will hold an extra cup this season on March 10 in an effort to develop a serious tri-code carnival alongside the galloping and greyhound cups.

That will mean Alexandra Park hosts a $250,000 cup on December 31 and another on March 10, with the March move likely to be permanent.

"We are committed to creating a cup week for Aucklanders like the one they have in Christchurch," said ATC president Sid Holloway.

"The Auckland Racing Club has made the move and we want to support the idea.

"Cup week in Christchurch is amazing for racing and for the city itself and there is no reason we can't have one even bigger.

"We know these things take time to catch on but we will give it our full support and are committed to our cup staying at the March date for at least a few years until we see how it develops.

"We are excited about the idea and looking forward to the challenge of building our own Auckland cup week."

Not just the date change will be radical but the conditions of the race will be greatly changed. The December 31 cup could be the last one run over 3200m from a standing start, with the March 10 race almost certain to be a 2700m mobile.

That is partly to help trainers setting their horses for the rich all-mobile Tasmanian Interdominion series which starts nine days later.

"We realise trainers won't want to have a 3200m stand a week before the Inters and we are going to work with them on that."

Holloway says his board realises the Auckland Trotting Cup stake has to be increased to keep pace with other Australasian features like the Miracle Mile, Hunter Cup, New Zealand Cup and the staggering A$1.5 million ($1.6 million) Interdominion Final this season.

"We can't afford to raise the stake this season because we are now holding two of them but we will definitely look at it for next season.

"I don't think a race of $350,000 to $400,000 is unrealistic."

The move will be a huge boost for Kiwi trainers who can race in the new Auckland Cup as their final lead-up to the Interdominions.

But the pacer ATC officials are most hoping to attract to their new cup is glamour mare Mainland Banner, who won last Tuesday's New Zealand Cup.

Her connections had no interest in the Auckland Cup last week and understandably so as Mainland Banner would have faced the 10m backmark in only her second open class start.

But a March 10 Auckland Cup over 2700m mobile could fit nicely into her plans and would give Auckland harness fans their first chance to see the great mare.

"We would love her to make her Alexandra Park debut in the new cup and will be talking to her connections about that," said Holloway.

The latter date for the cup should also see more high class four-year-olds involved, horses like Baileys Dream, Badlands Bute, Presido and Classic Cullen far more likely to take on the open class horses in March than December.

That would be a major win for the ATC as this season's four-year-olds look more glamorous than the established stars.

The ATC's move was warmly greeted by the Auckland Racing Club, who were originally rebuffed when they approached the ATC about joining them by moving their cup to March.

The ARC has moved its two biggest races, the Derby and Cup, to March in an effort to replicate the carnival atmospheres of Melbourne and Christchurch.

"We are thrilled the ATC has made the move as well and Auckland will now have a real cup week," said Ellerslie chief executive Chris Weaver.

"I think the three cups in the same week will compliment each other and be a huge pull for racing fans and tourists from here and Australia." Auckland's Cup Week

March 3: Auckland Trotting Cup lead-up, Alexandra Park.

March 4: $600,000 Mercedes Derby and $50,000 Kings Plate, Ellerslie.

March 7: Alexandra Park

March 8: $600,000 Auckland Cup, Ellerslie

March 9: Auckland greyhound cup.

March 10: $250,000 Auckland Trotting Cup, Alexandra Park

March 11: $150,000 Diamond Stakes (2-y-os) and $150,000 New Zealand Stakes, Ellerslie.