Racing: Club raises stakes at Ellerslie

The Auckland Cup will next year run for a stake of $700,000 and the following year possibly $1 million.

The 2007 Mercedes Derby has also been raised to $700,000.

Those announcements were part of an Auckland Racing Club press release yesterday, highlighting an overall stakes rise at Ellerslie of $1.09 million for the 2006/2007 season.

The SkyCity Auckland Cup and the Mercedes Derby form the focus for the revamped Auckland Cup week carnival on March 3, 7 and 10 next year.

"The club has carefully analysed the guidelines set down by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing this year in regard to stakes as we try to balance the requirement to encourage racing at both the emerging and elite level," said Auckland Racing Club chief executive Chris Weaver.

"We are confident that the increases that have been made will attract support from owners, trainers and jockeys and reinforce Ellerslie's position as the premier racing venue in the country."

Weaver says it is a personal ambition to see the stake for the Auckland Cup raised to $1 million.

"If we have a successful year this season and I can convince the board it is a good idea, then a stake of one million dollars is a realistic target for 2008."

Weaver is hoping for a good Melbourne Cup result from prominent New Zealand stayers Pentane, Zabeat and Zarius, the first three runners home in this year's Auckland Cup.

"If they can finish in the first 10, hopefully in the first eight, in the Melbourne Cup, it will really frank the Auckland Cup form.

"Then, if we can get the stake of the Auckland Cup up to $1 million we have a realistic chance of getting the VRC to deem it an exemption race for the Melbourne Cup.

"We have to earn that right.

"At $1 million it would be the second-richest, two-mile race in Australasia and at $700,000 it is already the third-richest.

"Worth remembering is that three years ago the stake for the Auckland Cup was $350,000. We took it from there to $600,000 and now to $700,000 we've doubled the stake in three years."

A big part of the incentive to raise the stake for the Auckland Cup is to attract Australian runners.

The total stakes forecast by the club for the 2006/2007 season will be $8.14m with the three day Auckland Cup Week Carnival contributing $2.6m. Ten of the club's 25 scheduled meetings will carry stakes of between $320,000 and $1.01m while a further five will range from $190,000 to $250,000 a day.

Other notable stake increases for premier races at Ellerslie include:

* Group 1 Starcraft NZ Stakes (2000m WFA) $200,000 (+$50,000)

* Group 1 Champions Mile (formerly Easter Handicap) $200,000 (+$50,000)

* Group 1 Zabeel Classic (WFA 2000m) $175,000 (+$25,000)

* Group 1 Ford Diamond Stakes (2yo 1200m) $175,000 (+$25,000)

As well as the increases for those premier events, the club will also provide a minimum stake level of $20,000 for all races at the 2007 Auckland Cup Week Carnival. This includes maiden and Rating 76 events. In line with the policy introduced in 2005, the club will continue to pay stakes to runners who finish 6th-9th in all races at Ellerslie.

The club will also continue to provide a clear path for potential SkyCity Auckland Cup contenders with ballot exemptions for the race available in several lead-up events held at Ellerslie:

* Speights City of Auckland Cup (January 1) first three placegetters

* Dunstan Feeds Championship Final (January 1) winner

* SkyCity Auckland Cup Prelude 2400m (February 17) winner

* Nathans Memorial (March 3) winner

The first three in the 2006 SkyCity Auckland Cup featured in the lead-up races. Winner Pentane won the Dunstan Feeds Final, Zabeat the Nathans Memorial and Zarius the winner of the City of Auckland Cup.