KEY POINTS:
Just when you thought things couldn't possibly get better, they have.
Modern day records are falling everywhere at the various racing carnivals as crowds suddenly and mysteriously flock back to live racing.
New Zealand Cup day at Riccarton was staggering, Boxing Day at Ellerslie exceeded predictions as a massive crowd materialised and Waikato Cup day at Te Rapa was a real head-shaker.
The racing in terms of class of horse and competitiveness has been at a level higher than we've seen for a decade.
And now the $40,000 minimum stakemoney for the Ellerslie March carnival will ensure that is maintained.
Total stakemoney for the week in March will be $2.98 million.
"The club is delighted to honour the commitment we have made to the industry to increase returns to stakeholders whenever possible through the improved business performance of the club," said Auckland Racing Club chairman Bill Gianotti yesterday.
"The growth of the of the minimum stake for Auckland Cup week, from $15,000 to $40,000 in just two years, is testament to the board's resolve in this area."
It's well established now that the once controversial move by the ARC to relocate the Derby and Auckland Cup to March has been a raging success.
The problem was never going to be to establish a new carnival, but to maintain Boxing Day and New Year's Day at previous levels with the help of the Derby and Auckland Cup.
That is now well proven.
The interesting aspect of Boxing Day and New Year's Day is the different and very distinct crowds the two days attract.
For anyone that has attended, the term 'Boxing Day crowd' has a definitive meaning - essentially young, glitzy and party-going types who are prepared to pay to have a top-end day with, in many instances, few restrictions.
The racegoers on New Year's Day are a little more difficult to define, but you get the impression there are more racing purists, there to watch what was a wonderful card of racing this week.
"The club puts enormous effort into marketing and promoting Auckland Cup week to attract a large audience for each day and we need the support of trainers and owners to ensure those thousands who attend have as many betting options as possible to maximise turnover, which in turn will provide further growth in prizemoney levels," said Bill Gianotti.
With seemingly endless levels of good form horses for major racedays at the moment - because of stakes increases - that seems assured.
