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Small fields at Alexandra Park are stifling turnovers for the embattled Auckland Trotting Club.

ATC introduces Golden Gait race night to attract more starters with 10 $100,000 races

The Auckland Trotting Club has introduced a new loyalty scheme which will see 10 races each run for $100,000 in November.

The ‘Golden Gait race night’, designed to encourage more horses to race at Alexandra Park, will have five races for pacers and five for trotters, all over a mobile mile.

To be eligible, three-year-old and older horses must race a minimum of six times and two-year-olds four times during the qualifying period.

Horses will accrue points - five for first, three for second , two for third and one for also-rans.

In both pacing and trotting, one race will be held for the top 12 points-earning two-year-olds, one for the top 12 three-year-olds and three races for the top 36 four-year-old and older horses.

The older qualifiers will be split based on their ratings at the time of withdrawals for the meeting to create fair, competitive contests.

Preferential barrier draws will apply for all events on ratings and stakes with the two-year-old and three-year-old events also seeing fillies drawing inside colts and geldings.

The prizemoney will be split $50,000 to the winner, $15,000 for second, $10,000 for third, $5000 for fourth and $2500 for all other starters.

Connections of horses must pay a $100 nomination fee for the Golden Gait and the accumulation of points will start on Friday night if the payment and entry form have been submitted in advance.

The loyalty programme will run until November 15 with the Golden Gait race meeting to be held on November 29 at Alexandra Park.

The initiative comes as the heavily in debt club attempts to stem the decline in horses racing at the Park.

Just 70 horses will contest the 10 races there on Friday night and only three of those have enough starters to allow three place dividends - four races have only six runners and three have seven.

Our runners this week: How our trainer rates them

Ray Green

Ray’s comments

Friday night at Auckland

Race 1: Tyson
5.31pm

“He’s not the best steering horse in the world. He’ll win races but he’s a funny horse and you can never be sure which Tyson will turn up.”

Race 3: Sugar Ray Lincoln
6.29pm

“Drawn the outside of the second line he was never going to be in the hunt last time but Maurice said he paced much better. We’re trying him in spreaders and from one on the second row he should get a better trip. It all depends on which one turns up. We know he’s capable of winning if he comes with his A game.”

Race 5: Leo Lincoln
7.30pm

“I’ve changed his bit to try to slow him down. He’s been pulling too hard. He’s an honest horse who you can never count out.”

Race 5: Kevin Kline
7.30pm

“I’m always pleased with Kevin - he never runs a bad race. He gave the favourite (Mantra Blue) a bit of a fright last week and in another 20 metres I think he would have got her. It’s only 1700 metres this time and he looks a good chance. The five draw shouldn’t bother him as he can do a bit of work.”

Race 7: The Rascal
8.22pm

“I thought he was pretty good last week despite not handling the corners. I’ve put spreaders on him this time, and he’s trained well in them, so it should give him every opportunity. I rate him a winning chance.”

Whales Harness