KEY POINTS:
ADELAIDE - The future of the Interdominion has been secured after some radical changes to the series were approved yesterday.
And that means New Zealand will remain a part of the series, for at least the next five years.
A meeting of the Interdominion council in Adelaide has rubber-stamped a plan that will guarantee a A$1 million ($1.14 million) pacing final for the next three years but with a greatly altered series format.
The current format of three rounds of heats will be replaced by semifinals which have automatic entry to all winners of grand circuit races that season.
The balance of the two semifinals will be made up of horses who qualify in heats a week before the semis, with the first five home in each semifinal making the final along with the fastest sixth-placed horse.
The huge stake boost to the series has been made possibly initially by backing from Queensland administrator Kevin Seymour, believed to be to the tune of A$200,000 per year.
It could also be aided by a levy of around $2 on every starter at any totalisator meeting in Australasia.
That radical concept will now be referred to the controlling bodies in each state as well as New Zealand.
If that is approved it will give the Interdominion council enough funds to establish a full-time marketing manager for the series to ensure continuity in quality of promotion of the series and Interdominion brand.
Yesterday's moves ensure the two New Zealand host clubs, Auckland and Addington, will remain as part of the Interdominion family until the present funding agreement ends in 2012.
Then the series will go up for tender, with the club who can provide the best business plan and overall stakes likely to be awarded hosting rights.
That will mean smaller Australian states, like South Australia, can simply not afford to hold the series any longer and it is also doubtful whether Auckland will tender to hold the series again, seeing as it is almost being set up in direct competition with the Auckland Cup.
Yesterday's meeting agreed the Interdominion will have a regular March date and unless the host clubs agree to hold it in late March it will clash with the Auckland Trotting Cup.
The latter now has to be held in early March as it is one of the centrepieces of Auckland's cup week of racing.
Establishing cup week in Auckland is of far greater importance to the Auckland Trotting Club than being part of the Interdominion so it seems unlikely they will want to tender for the series under its present format.
Key points
* New Zealand's two host clubs will remain part of the Interdominion group for the next five years.
* After 2012 the hosting rights will go up for tender.
* The final has been guaranteed to A$1 million for the next three years.
