KEY POINTS:
The time-honoured Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on New Year's Day will switch to a set-weight and penalties event.
Announcing the change, Auckland Racing Club chairman Bill Gianotti said the club wanted to be proactive to ensure the event retained its status as a group one event.
"After the 2008 Graded Stakes Committee report that placed the Railway on a second warning, the board of the ARC were unanimous that we needed to be proactive in trying to secure its future," he said.
"After wide industry consultation we believe the shift to set-weight and penalties and a stake rise of $50,000 is the best solution.
"With the Telegraph Handicap at Trentham receiving a funding boost to $1 million for the next three years, the conditions of the race were seen as imperative in trying to attract a high-quality field.
"With the co-operation of the Wellington Racing Club and NZTR, the weights for the Telegraph will be released on New Year's Eve, meaning the Railway Stakes, run under the new conditions, will become a penalty-free race for the Telegraph - a hugely appealing condition for horses looking to run in both races."
Nominations for the $250,000 Waiwera Railway Stakes will be taken on Monday, November 17 together with other feature race nominations for the New Zealand Herald Christmas Carnival and Auckland Cup Week.
For consistency, the Darley Plate (group 3, 1200m) on Derby Day will switch from weight-for-age to a set-weight and penalties event. The stake has increased by $50,000 to $150,000.
