Racing: Stunning line-up for $200,000 Classic

Ellerslie bosses believe they have found a new name for their Boxing Day date which was for so long known as Derby Day.

"We are thinking of it as the Race of the Year day now," said Ellerslie supremo Chris Weaver, only half jokingly.

His enthusiasm comes from the stunning nominations for next Saturday's $200,000 Zabeel Classic, which is shaping as the strongest thoroughbred race of the season in this country.

Not only will it boast a rarity in a reigning Victoria Derby champion in Monaco Consul, but also the Kelt winner Vosne Romanee, Ginga Dude, Mac O'Reilly, Exstreme, Culminate, Red Ruler, Sir Slick, Spin Around and Tell A Tale.

"We believe we have a stronger weight-for-age race with more depth than the Kelt this season so we couldn't be happier," explains Weaver.

The emergence of the Zabeel Classic as a racing focal point could not have come at a better time for Ellerslie, whose huge gamble to move the Derby from Boxing Day to the start of Cup week in March has now become virtually seamless.

"People love the Derby and we are very proud of it as well, but the fact is, even with it transferred, we still get a massive crowd on Boxing Day," said Weaver.

"It has become an iconic Auckland day and with the Guineas also on that day we have a huge programme."

With its large number of socialite and corporate customers, Ellerslie's numbers would seem the most susceptible to economic pressures but Weaver is beaming as advance sales have reached record levels.

"We have never had so many tickets sold before a Boxing Day meeting," said Weaver. "The bookings for tables and functions have been absolutely unbelievable and some of our key areas are sold out with others very close to being so."

That is even more surprising as Ellerslie has streamlined its marketing, not relying as heavily on big budget advertising.

"To be honest, we have gone about things a different way because of the money," says Weaver.

"But we are also getting a lot more word-of-mouth customers who have been to one of our big days before and they tell people you have to be part of it.

"The twilight series of races we have over the summer are hugely popular and you just know a lot of the people who were here last week for the twilight will now have booked to come back on Boxing or New Year's Day."

Racing's fightback against the recession has not been restricted to Ellerslie, with Alexandra Park coming to the end of a massive month of function bookings.

Racing bosses are now hoping those successes, coupled with the annual Christmas migration to holiday racing venues, will spur on Auckland Cup week, which after a few years to bed in now needs to start growing into a serious Auckland-wide event.