Picnicking at iconic country racetracks like Waikouaiti is on the way out.
Check out where, when and how many times they’re racing in the 20-21 draft harness dates
By Barry Lichter • 15 May 2020
The Auckland Trotting Club is happy that it will retain 29 Friday night meetings in the draft calendar released for next season.
Alexandra Park will host 36 meetings, down only a few on this season but, most importantly, vice president Jamie Mackinnon says it keeps its familiar end of week presence.
“Auckland is a Friday night club essentially - we’ve traditionally built our business around Friday night hospitality.”
Auckland has 16 Friday night meetings to itself, and another 13 in tandem with Addington, on the best punting night of the week.
And while Auckland will share Thursday nights with Cambridge through August and September, when Addington has sole grip on Fridays, Mackinnon says it won’t matter so much with the public not expected to be allowed on course by then under the COVID-19 restrictions.
“When the public comes back the Alex Bar will be the focus for generating food, with our Function Centre firmly closed, but just like other places we’re not expecting people to rush back as soon as we open the gates.”
Mackinnon says the main thing is the calendar provides regular racing for horses in the Auckland region.
Cambridge Raceway will host 34 meetings next season under the proposed dates, up six on the present season’s allocation.
CEO David Branch said in essence the club will be racing fortnightly, with 27 Thursday night meetings.
“We’re pretty happy to see some consistency in our dates which is what we have been after for a long time.
“We have an average of 170 horses trained at our Cambridge Raceway and Scott Reserve (Morrinsville) training centres which will be well catered for between ourselves and Alexandra Park.”
Branch said it was disappointing, however, to lose its traditional Christmas Eve meeting for both harness and greyhounds.
No dates have been allocated in the Central Districts but local officials are hoping their submissions on running dual code meetings at Palmerston North with the greyhounds will be approved.
All of the grass track meetings on the traditional summer country circuit have disappeared.
The South Island landscape also loses much of its country flavour with only two weeks around Christmas-New Year providing opportunities for picnickers to enjoy the small country tracks.
From Boxing day on there will be two meetings at Westport, one at Reefton, one at Omakau, two at Cromwell and two at Nelson.
Kaikoura retains its back-to-back days in early November.
Dunedin has no meetings at Forbury Park.
Harness racing dates on the draft calendar
More news in Harness
OK Sammy, lightning bolts aside, Ray’s relying on you to do things right this time
Lincoln Dealer has the genes but not the barrier draw for Cambridge debut
HRNZ boss Brad Steele resigns after less than two years; chairman praises his work
$101 monster upset! - Lincoln Wave makes the most of lucky break and fills plenty of pockets
Our runners this week: How our trainers rate them
Ray’s comments
Thursday night at Cambridge
Race 1: Rivergirl Bella
5.40pm
“She’s going as good as she can. She’s got a bit of speed but isn’t that strong. But she should get a nice trip here and be right in the frame. She’ll win one soon.”
Race 1: Jessie Lincoln
5.40pm
“She’s a big filly who has taken time to mature but she has plenty of ability. She’s a good pacer and I expect her to improve on her resuming run and go well.”
Race 1: Lincoln Dealer
5.40pm
“He’s a bit of a handful, too keen for his own good sometimes, so I’ll be happy to see him just get round and do most things right. He’s no superstar but he’s coming to it slowly but surely. We’re throwing him in the deep end here and he has a terrible draw but we have to start somewhere.”
Race 4: Lincoln Maree
7.04pm
“She’s as tough as old boots and tries like hell and you can’t ask for much more than that. She just lacks a bit of speed but has a good attitude. She usually finds one or two better than her but will make them work for it anyway.”
Ray’s comments
Friday night at Auckland
Race 1: Prince Lincoln
4.56pm
“He’ll be improved for the last run, has trialled and is working well, and has a better draw (the ace) this time. You just have to be a bit wary because he’s let us down a couple of times.”
Race 3: Angelic Copy
5.56pm
“She had a tie-up issue but seems much better now. It’s her first run for a while so she’ll definitely need the run. I’m just hoping she gets around all right and pulls up OK.”
Race 3: Colonel Lincoln
5.56pm
“He’s a very capable horse, if injury prone, and he’s been back in work for three or four months. You never say never but, realistically, he’s just starting off so you can’t expect him to be at his peak.”
Race 5: Sammy Lincoln
6.55pm
“I know I said it two starts back but if there’s such a thing as a certainty, he’s it. Even from seven on the gate, everything says he’s the one to beat. If he hadn’t gone a bit goofy up the home straight last time in the Sires’ Stakes Semi at Cambridge, he’d have easily run third. This is a huge drop in class.”
Race 7: Sugar Ray Lincoln
7.58pm
“I expect he’ll be a bit sharper this time. He’s looking well and feeling good but I still think another run under his belt will be beneficial for him. He’s not one to leap out of the ground but he is capable of taking the race.”
