Tracks busy in festive feast

Ellerslie and Alexandra Park add meetings to meet demand ahead of big holiday spell

Auckland racing’s calm before the storm has become the storm before the bigger storm. As both Ellerslie and Alexandra Park prepare their traditional huge week between Christmas and New Years Day, the changing face of racing means the two Auckland tracks have already had thousands more than usual through their gates this month.

There are race meets at Ellerslie three times in the week of Boxing Day till New Year’s Day, with the former attracting the bigger crowd but the latter one of the best race days of the season.

Alexandra Park stages racing this Friday but has the Auckland Cup meeting as a late afternoon fixture on December 31, with a more laidback family feel for those who don’t leave the city for the holidays.

But while that means four meetings in a 2km radius in a week that pales compared with the six meetings the two tracks shared in the 10 days just gone.

And both were prime examples of how betting turnover is only one way to judge whether a meeting is a success.

Alexandra Park raced back-toback on Friday and Saturday last weekend because of the huge demand for pre-Christmas functions.

Friday’s premier meeting saw turnover of $1.2 million and Saturday night’s meeting just $480,000 but both were seen as a huge success.

“It is about catering to our customers who want to come celebrate their Christmas functions with us,” said Alex Park boss Dominique Dowding.

“Betting turnover is important but corporate bookings are also crucial and a very important revenue stream for the club.

“But just as importantly, by having these extra meetings we are getting more people back to the races and if they have a great time we hope we will come here again.”

Alexandra Park’s dining package bookings over the last month have been enormous, with more than 12,000 package sold in the last six weeks, meaning the track has raced back-to-back meetings over two weekends.

“That is 2000 more hospitality bookings than we had last year and I think any business would be thrilled to have a 20 per cent increase,” said Dowding. “And that is just those people who booked packages, let alone the racegoers who came along casually.

“So we are thrilled with the response.”

Ellerslie’s best example of the growing appetite for racing as an entertainment product was last Wednesday when more than 4600 customers came through the gate for a six-horse twilight meeting.

There were few equine stars on show and while the meeting did host the World Jockeys Cup prelude, the reality is the vast majority were there to enjoy a pre-Christmas party, evi- denced by the fact there was still a huge crowd on track at 11pm, more than three hours after the last race.

“We we thrilled with the crowd but the turnover was great too, helped by the visiting jockeys being here,” said Ellerslie chief executive Paul Wilcox.

“We are in the middle of a very busy time and realise our customers come for a variety of reasons but that is all positive for the club.

“And a lot of the horses we have had race here so far this month are being set for races at our carnivals over the summer and it is great they get a chance race experience here.”

While the glut of racing in Auckland could raise fears it will impact on iconic meetings like Boxing Day, early bookings allay those fears.

“The early bookings for Boxing Day have been massive,” said Wilcox. “The Cuvee area is sold out, we have a couple of tables left in Silks and the overall bookings have been huge as we have added a new area in the infield called the Paddock for those who like some music with their raceday experience.

“We have a capped crowd of 15,000 for Boxing Day and if we get fine weather like we have had for many of the meetings this month we are going to have to shut the gates on the day.

“So is people want to be guaranteed a chance to come along they should book online now.”

While last Sunday’s more relaxed meeting saw the last three races held on track affected by a heavy midafternoon downpour, ARC officials were thrilled with the racing surface yesterday and with the rail being moved for each of the last three meetings but returning to the true position for Boxing Day, they are confident of a fresh racing surface.