Racing: Country racing gets a fillip

If you've had a warm beer and a cold pie and been shut out at the tote at a summer country race meeting, things are about to change.

The New Zealand Racing Board this week announced a promotion that will see 23 across-the-codes race meetings with greatly upgraded services.

They include:
* A 6-pack on Race 6 at each meeting with two Ford cars and a host of Sharp mini systems with televisions to be won.
* Subway food as an alternative to pies, chips and hotdogs at most venues.
* High-profile rock bands for young people.
* Secure kids clubs for parents to have children minded.
* Kids entertainment.
* Plenty of cold bottled water with StillNZ on board as a major sponsor.
* Availability of self-service mobile tote machines.
* Clean toilet facilities.

The 6-pack is available to on-course patrons.

The promotion is being driven by Racing Board executive Tom Jamison.

"What we're doing is co-ordinating a certain standard for all of these summer country meetings.

"One thing that has changed is that we are insisting on charging through the gate.

"Some clubs weren't happy with that, but we said it was not negotiable.

"The gate charges go directly to the racing club involved," said Jamison.

The 6-pack races are restricted to galloping and harness meetings - greyhounds, the traditional 6-pack vehicle have had to be excluded.

"The prizes of the cars and the mini systems the punters will be shooting for are greater in value than the cost of a 6-pack at the dogs."

For example, the odds of landing a 6-pack in a 14-horse field is something like 7.5 million to one.

The cars will be won by the first two punters successfully landing a 6-pack at the gallops or the harness.

"If they are not won - and the odds would seem to make that a fair bet - they will be won on the last two days of the promotion by the tickets getting closest to the perfect result.

Those meetings are the Kapiti Coast harness meeting at Otaki on February 5 and the Tauherenikau gallops the following day.

"We are confident this will be well received," said Jamison.

"We've had a lot of positive feedback already."


Holiday programme:
Dec 27 Rotorua (gallops)
Dec 29 Motukarara (harness)
Dec 30 Kurow (g)
Dec 31 Taupo (g)
Jan 1 Hastings (g)
Jan 1 Wingatui (g)
Jan 2 Tauherenikau (g) (h)
Jan 2 Omakau (g)
Jan 3 Tauranga (g)
Jan 3 Omakau (g)
Jan 4 Ruakaka (g) (h)
Jan 4 Masterton (dogs)
Jan 5 Omakau (g)
Jan 5 Auckland (dogs)
Jan 7 Kumara (g)
Jan 7 Thames (g)
Jan 15 Nelson (h)
Jan 15 Te Aroha (h)
Jan 22 Blenheim (h)
Jan 22 Thames (h)
Jan 29 Te Teko (g)
Feb 5 Otaki (h)
Feb 6 Tauherenikau (g)