Cambridge lost its Jewels day but is shoring up stakes for its remaining five meetings of the season.
Cambridge tops up stakes to $7500 for the rest of the season and retains incentives
By Barry Lichter • 12 May 2020
Waikato-Bay of Plenty Harness will top up all stakes for the rest of the season to $7500, barring amateur races which will be run for $7000.
Under the recently released funding model, Cambridge has been allocated $7200 per race, but President Graham Bowen says the club believes setting a flat stake is the fairest way of returning the maximum amount to industry participants.
Graham Bowen … fairest way.The revised stake will also reflect the new rating points matrix whose lower stake threshold is to be set at $7500.
Cambridge will continue paying the incentive payment of $1750 to the connections of horses who win twice on the track during the season, providing they had already won before lockdown.
The $10,000 Dunstan Horse of the Year Series will continue. The owners of the horse with the highest points after the last meeting of the season will receive $4000 and the trainer a $3000 product prize. The trainer of the horse with the next most points will win a $2000 product prize and the trainer of third, a $1000 product prize.
Points leaders are: Lovely Bundy (24), Lukyanova (22), American Me and Flying Steps (19), Jingles Bromac (18), Still Eyre and Delson (17).
The club has five dates until the end of the season with its first an eight-race programme starting at noon on Sunday, May 31.
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Nathan’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 5: Dreams Of Eric
7.13pm
“It’s an even field but he’s drawn to lead and I’m sure he’ll go well again.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 4: Tyson
7.15pm
“He’s a strong each-way chance again. He’s looking great and he’s a real slugger. Some people under-rate him but he keeps getting the money.”
Race 6: Debbie Lincoln
8.19pm
“She tied up on us again after her last start but her bloods are good again so it looks like she’s over that. At her best she’d be a serious chance. She could be in need of a race or two to be on the very top of her game but, if she gets a good trip, I could see her being right in it.”
Race 8: Lincoln Linda
9.09pm
“Last week’s debacle was all self inflicted. She gets herself so wound up. The weird thing is that in front she’s lovely, and drops the bit, but getting there is the hardest part. We’ve had problems with her missing the start. If she did things right, and could lead from one, I can’t see how they’d beat her, but that’s a big question mark.”
Race 8: Lincoln Lover
9.09pm
“His last start was a complete non-event, it was only a sprint up the straight. With any kind of a trip on Friday he’ll show them more of what he can do. Lincoln Linda has more speed than him but he’s got the manners and he tries like hell.”
