Racing: Trotting Cup gets top-up

Auckland's biggest week of racing just got bigger with a huge rise in the stake of the second Auckland Trotting Cup for the season.

Alexandra Park officials have thrown another $100,000 at their feature event on March 10, taking it to $300,000.

The cup will be one of the highlights of Auckland's first ever cup week, which will include a host of major harness racing events as well as three huge days of racing at Ellerslie at which the Derby and Auckland galloping cup will be the focus.

The Auckland greyhound cup will be held the same week, giving Auckland a week that will surpass even Christchurch's famous cup week.

While the galloping carnival will be the biggest crowd puller, Alexandra Park bosses have made significant stakes increases to ensure their meeting draws both quality fields and big crowds.

The $300,000 Cup on March 10 will feature Mainland Banner and Alta Serena and that night will also play host to a new $50,000 three-year-old race, the Elsu Classic.

The race started as a minor winter feature last season but has more than doubled in stake thanks to a sponsorship partnership involving the champion pacer's former owners and stud giant Alabar, who purchased Elsu last year.

The meeting will also have a $40,000 trot, $30,000 male juvenile race and a $20,000 juvenile fillies' race.

The carnival will start with a $50,000 two-year-old race on March 3, alongside a $30,000 pacing free-for-all and $30,000 trot.

The Auckland Cup will be the second this season and should have a stronger field than the first.