KEY POINTS:
Alexandra Park field sizes should get a much-needed boost in the new season.
And owners and trainers of horses who win at the Auckland track are set to be better off as well.
The Auckland Trotting Club is introducing another bonus system under which any horse who wins two races at Alexandra Park will receive a $2000 for the second win.
The new bonus will be split - $1000 each for the owners and the trainer. The scheme will be free.
It is also entirely separate from the other bonus schemes in place at the club and there will be a maximum of two bonus payments per horse.
Horses racing at Alexandra Park can already be made eligible for two highly successful bonus schemes.
There is the $10,000 "ultimate bonus" for any horse whose first 10 wins come on that track and the frequently-struck bonus of 50 per cent of the winning stake for every third win there.
Horses have to be registered to be eligible for those bonuses and they only go to the owners, so the new bonus is more likely to affect starter numbers because trainers ultimately make the decision on where their horses start.
"It is our way of repaying the loyalty of owners and trainers who want to race at Alexandra Park," said ATC vice president Rod Croon.
"We are instigating the scheme for 12 months and if it is successful it will continue. So that puts the onus on trainers and owners to support it. If it attracts more horses to race here then we will keep it going and the money will go to owners and trainers."
Because the new scheme comes into place on August 1, all horses will be treated from that day as if they are starting, for this bonus only, on no wins at Alexandra Park.
The move is certain to be welcomed by northern trainers as it should help ensure larger field sizes.
Repeated TAB surveys and data analysis have shown that larger fields lead to more punting and lack of numbers has often been the Achilles heel of Alexandra Park.
