Higher stake for milestone
The Stratford Racing club is set to celebrate 125 years of racing when it hosts its annual New Year’s Eve meeting today.
While the event draws big local crowds year after year, the club were doing a little something extra to celebrate the milestone year.
‘‘With it being a 125 years of Stratford Racing each race has its own small cup, with the exception of the Barry Holland Plate,’’ club vice president Vaughan Keegan said.
‘‘The club and committee are committed to making it a very memorable day.’’
The $40,000 2000-metre open handicap – race seven on the card – will be the feature of the eightrace program, with the Stratford Cup up for grabs.
The Cup race was sponsored by descendants of the Polish immigrants, who came out on the Fritz Reuter ship in 1876 from Hamburg, Germany.
Many of the families made a major contribution to racing in the Taranaki District and beyond.
The last time the Cup race was run, in 2014, the stake on offer was $30,000, with $20,000 on offer in 2013.
‘‘With the help of New Zealand thoroughbred Racing and fantastic local sponsorship we have been able to lift the Stratford Cup stake this year to mark the special occasion.’’
A quality 14-horse field, headed by Sebrose, is set to run for the Cup, with 2015 New Zealand Oaks winning mare Savaria, trained by Roydon Bergerson, and Tony Gillies-trained Manawatu Cup Prelude winner Woodsman among them.
Local hopes rest with the Trudy Keegan-trained I Suggest, who is a last start winner at Otaki, Hotshot Lass, trained by Jeff Bliss, Tina Egan-trained Cassie Anne and the Gavin Sharrock-trained Just Call Me Irish all taking their place in the event.
As an added bonus, the club is giving $125 to each trainer with a horse in all fields aside from the Cup race to help cover entry costs.
$500 is similarly being given for each horse in the feature race.
With last year’s meeting being abandoned after two races due to a slippery surface, the Cup race wasn’t run in 2015.
Keegan said the track was looking in good nick.
A full day of racing is expected to draw out the locals.
‘‘The club is also committed to securing future racedays for the local community and utilising the picturesque racecourse,’’ he said.