Jewels at Addington next year
THE Harness Racing New Zealand board was left with little choice but to vote drastically to change the Harness Jewels and move its 2019 edition to Addington.
The change will not only mean the Jewels move from their traditional venues at Addington and Cambridge for the first time since their inception in 2007, but almost certainly mean its race distances change from a mile (1609m).
Ashburton and Addington were the only two venues that put forward bids to host the 2019 event.
Major recent changes to Ashburton racing administration was one of the key factors in Ashburton losing the event.
The closure of the administrative collective, the Ashburton Racing Centre, and the Ashburton Trotting Club losing racing manager Gareth Murfitt, who now works as the business manager at Riccarton Park, were two of the biggest changes affecting the 2019 Jewels.
‘‘Ashburton is at a bit of a disadvantage with the disestablishment of the racing centre. They have probably lost some of their resources and intellectual property for running the event,’’ HRNZ chief executive Edward Rennell said.
‘‘We are not putting down what is there, but they have lost a lot of experience from the club and they are just in the process of rebuilding that.’’
‘‘It is a very big race day and that would have put a lot of pressure on them.’’
The HRNZ board took Ashburton’s bid to retain the Jewels very seriously, Rennell said.
‘‘They put forward a proposal that stressed the tradition and how it is important it was to their region and we did not take that lightly.’’
‘‘There are advantages at both places. Obviously the advantage of Addington is that they have a proven ability to host and organise a big day,’’
Rennell stressed that the board’s decision to move next year’s event to Addington does not necessarily mean it is the end of Ashburton’s chances of holding the event again.
‘‘What we have stressed is that the decision is for 2019.’’
Although race distances were not part of each club’s 2019 bid, it is expected they will move to 1950m or 2000m at Addington due to its horrific mile starting point.
Roxburgh trainers Geoff and Jude Knight trained Pembrook’s Delight to win at the 2012 Harness Jewels in Cambridge.
They are one of three Otago stables to win a Jewels race alongside Oamaru’s Phil Williamson and the exWaikouaiti combination of Andrew Faulks and Noel Creighton.
How the move to Addington will impact the North Island Jewels, which have been held at Cambridge five time, is a concern for Geoff Knight.
The move increases the chances of Alexandra Park staging a successful bid for the 2020 Jewels, which could mean the event moves too far away from one of its key original concept of being a regional event, he said.
‘‘I support change if it is for the better, but I am not sure it will be any different than at Ashburton.’’
‘‘To me the risk is if Addington get it this time and then Alexandra Park get it next time you are wiping out the chance of the smalltime trainer having a horse in the Jewels because they will have to send their horse to Auckland early to earn money and get used to righthanded racing.’’
‘‘A smaller trainer could lose the horse or have the big expense of getting the horse to Auckland to get them used to going the righthanded way around.’’
‘‘I think we should start talking about that now.’’