The jumps racing fraternity has been denied the chance of farewelling the Ellerslie Hill for a final time with next week’s Great Northern meeting transferred to Te Aroha.
While there was the option of delaying the meeting by a week at Ellerslie, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, Auckland Thoroughbred Racing and the New Zealand Jumping Association decided the venue change was a more logical option.
“It provides certainty for the connections of the horses and their preparation and from a wagering perspective,” NZTR said in a statement.
“A further delay in running the two Northerns – which were originally scheduled for 19 September – also raised horse welfare issues around the spacing of the races and potential track conditions, bearing in mind that most of the steeplechase course at Ellerslie cannot be irrigated.
“The uncertainty around COVID-19 Levels for Auckland on 10 October was another factor.”
The switch to Te Aroha will result in minor distance changes for the feature races, with the $125,000 Hurdle run over 4200m (originally 4190m) and the Steeplechase over 6200m (originally 6400m).
The maiden hurdle will be run over 3100m and the 0-1-win steeplechase at 3500m, with stake increases applied to both races. In acknowledgement of the recent disruption to the jumping race pattern, NZTR has doubled the stake for the 0-1-win steeplechase, to $30,000, and increased the maiden hurdle stake from $15,000 to $25,000.
