Glamour at Reefton

Great stakes and ‘Glamour in the Goldfields’ will be highlight of the harness racing meeting at Reefton this Monday.

The Reefton Trotting Club which has been in operation since 1898 is offering more than $140,000 in stakes with the $25,000 Reefton Pacing Cup and $20,000 Reefton Trotting Cup the two feature races.

“The Trotting Cup is part of the Bob Rochford Seddon Shield Trotters Series,” Club President Greg Topp said.

Jim Curtin is the most successful driver in the Pacing Cup with five winners – Tar El, Dominion Rock, Highview Badlands, Hokonui Ben and Maximan. Robert Dunn as a trainer has won with Lucky in 2004, Niraadi 2008, Cambo 2009 and McKay 2010, while the Greg and Nina Hope trained Homebush Lad has won the race for the last three years.

“We’re very indebted to the trainers and owners in Canterbury.”

The Westport Trotting Club will race on the 26th and 28th December, two days before Reefton.

“We’ve always maintained good stakes and there’s three days of racing with Westport and ourselves in the space of four days.”

Topp says a lot of work has been done to modernise the facilities on the Reefton course.

“I had a galloping trainer come up to me a couple of years ago. All he wanted was to say thank you. He told me our facilities are outstanding for the horses and the public. We’re always working on them. People tell us the track is a hell of a picture and fits into the town.”

‘Glamour in the Goldfield’ sponsored by Federation Mining is the key on-course promotion on the day.
There are six categories – Young Racegoer, Teen Racegoer, Reeftonite at the Races, Classic Racewear, Elegant Racewear and Glamourous Couple and there are sashes and great prizes to be won.

“It’s appropriate for this area and Federation Mining have really got in behind that. One of our committee members Kimberly Hampton does it and does an amazing job. Even people that have won Fashion in the Field on Cup Day at Addington have come and they’ve also come from as far away as Auckland. They say for a small event it is really well managed. There’s also free entertainment for the children.”

Because it’s holiday time, visitor numbers on the Coast are boosted and the race meetings help the local economy.

“It is about the town and that’s why we carry on doing it.”

Like most harness racing committees Topp says Reefton has struggled to attract young people into the administrative side of the sport.

“We’re working on that now. We work in closely with the Reefton Jockey Club and the committee could change with the two committees joining forces. We race again in March on a Westport- Reefton circuit which is also really well supported.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink