BGP founder and pied piper Luke Kemeys says the response to the punting club has been stunning.
"Obviously we had a magic night here the last couple of years but the interest this year has been enormous," says the Auckland-based accountant.
"We will have over 400 BGP members at the track and well over 1000 different people involved in the punters club.
"Some of them are people who are already in punters clubs who have joined us for the day, others are groups who want to have their own party and watch the races at home, whether that is in Invercargill or Australia, but be part of the fun.
"We are already past $200,000 in the kitty and I think $220,000 is likely but $240,000 is possible.
"That last figure would be great so we could average around $40,000 spend per race."
Kemeys says while his group's members want a return many are involved for the fun and will roll the money over into future punters clubs.
Last year's BGP cleaned up when Probabeel won the Karaka Million, setting off scenes rarely seen at a New Zealand sporting venues as they paid their very loud respects to winning jockey Opie Bosson.
Kemeys and his team of analysts were keen to have a $100,000 bet on Catalyst, the hot favourite for race two on Saturday, but were put off by his $1.10 fixed odds price.
"That is too short so we are hoping they drift him out," he explains.
"But we already have him in that multi bet."
TAB bookie Stephen Hunt said $100,000 bets are extremely rare in New Zealand but he wasn't going to be doing the BGP any favours.
"Catalyst might get out to $1.15 but not the $1.20 I hear they want," laughed Hunt.
The Australian TAB opened Catalyst at $1,60 on Wednesday and were slammed with big bets, including one of A$94,000 at $1.45.
He is now $1.30 there but with other runners shorter than the NZ TAB.
