Racing: More money for super feature meets

The introduction of a new category of super feature meetings, starter incentives and sponsorship from the New Zealand Racing Board (NZRB) will be new initiatives for the galloping code in the new season starting on August 1.

The new super feature meetings will lift stakes for galloping meetings in the upper North Island from a minimum of $110,000 to $150,000 and in the lower North Island from $90,000 to $130,000.

Clubs will initially apply to New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) to upgrade meetings currently graded as feature, to the new super feature status and it is hoped that over the next two years, all feature meetings will be upgraded to the new level.

"Clubs will have to look at their current turnovers and decide with the extra funding available whether they can sustain the extra stakes," NZTR's Campbell Moncur said.

The super feature racedays will see minimum stakes of $14,000 (upper north) and $12,000 (lower north) for all open class races and those previously known as progressive grades.

The former intermediate grade races will have minimum stakes of $12,000 (upper north) and $10,000 (lower north). Clubs have also been given some flexibility in regard to premier grade meetings.

Under the old conditions, clubs were required to run eight races with minimum stakes of $27,000. The other two races on the programme had a minimum stake of $10,000.

The new criteria will allow clubs to stick with that system or alternatively card six races with a minimum stake of $30,000 with the remaining four races run for not less than $15,000.

Some clubs struggled to come up with suitable premier type races for their seventh and eight events and there was a feeling that some races carrying the $27,000 stake were just not up to premier standard.

The first club to use the new system will be Hawkes Bay on August 27 which will stage the $200,000 Mudgway Stakes (1400m) and five other races at $30,000.

The rest of the programme sees two races at $20,000 and two at $15,000.

In terms of sponsorship, the New Zealand Racing Board has made $2 million available to the three codes (galloping, harness and greyhounds) to support initiatives which will encourage investment in the industry.

The thoroughbred code share is $1.1 million.

- NZPA