Racing: Back in vogue overhead stalls get rave reviews

Remarkable what time can do.

Twenty years ago you could not have sold a set of overhead starting stalls to northern racing in New Zealand for $2.

Now Ellerslie has a new set and everyone is raving about them.

Overhead means an enclosed starting barrier as distinct from what we have been used to in most parts of New Zealand, apart from Trentham, with no overhead cover.

The reason ours evolved that way is not completely clear.

The Auckland Racing Club had overhead barrier stalls in the 1950s, which were replaced by the Caddy stalls somewhere around the 1960s which were the forerunner to what the club has used for the last few decades, commonly referred to as the Cave Stalls.

After a series of recent costly late scratchings at the barrier, many of them caused by the stalls malfunctioning, the ARC sought new equipment.

For a remarkably budget price of around a reputed $150,000, the club has secured a set of the "Steriline" stalls used to start the Melbourne Cup at Flemington and also at the world's No 1 racing arena, Hong Kong.

They were tested at Ellerslie on Monday and everyone was glowing in their praise.

Trainer Richard Collett sees it as a step ahead.

"I was really impressed. I thought they loaded well, stood well and we're talking about a lot of uneducated 2-year-olds.

"These stalls are at a totally different level.

"They are well padded and width-wise they're good. They provide enough room to give trouble and they're very quiet - much quieter than we've had."

Trainers Moira Murdoch, Richard Yuill, Kerry Verner and riders Catherine Treymane all found favour with the gates.

They will be used on Saturday week for the first day of the Ellerslie Easter meeting.

* In the 1970s leading Californian jockey Alvaro Pineda came to New Zealand to compete at the International meeting at Te Rapa, which regular featured the likes of Lester Piggott and Roy Higgins in those days.

In the United States, Pineda had ridden Sharivari in feature races and the press here at the time made a big splash of the American being reunited with the horse, who subsequently had come to New Zealand and won the Railway Handicap from Colin Jillings' stable.

Not long after Pineda returned to California, one of his mounts reared coming out of the overhead starting stalls and he died instantly when he lost the top part of his head.

His wife successfully brought a multi-million dollar suit against the racing club.

Many overhead stalls since have been modified and there is plenty of room for a horse to rear safely out of the Steriline stalls.