Gore incentivising trainers from north of Waikouaiti

The Gore Harness Racing Club is first to race in the south as the second half of the current season will get under way at the Young Quinn Raceway at Wyndham next Thursday (Aug. 11).

The Gore Club which races at Wyndham is incentivising trainers from north of Waikouaiti to bring their horses to Wyndham for their upcoming meeting.

Trainers from north who bring a truckload of five or more horses will get their truck filled with fuel for free at McKeown Petroleum’s Fuel Stop in Gore on their way home.

Gore President Ross Cleland, who works for McKeown, says the decision to provide the incentive was made at a committee meeting last night.

“Through my job I can get a decent discount. I don’t know how much it’ll cost. It could be a couple of thousand dollars. We don’t get any pay back for it, but it still looks good on our resume. A few of the Canterbury trainers are moaning about the handicap system up there so hopefully we can put some races on which they’ll come down for,” he said.

So far there’s been a good response.

“Amber Hoffman is bringing down nine horses and we text Michael House and Mark Jones at the meeting and they’re keen.”

Cleland says with no workouts being held in the south it’s hard to gauge how many local horses will be ready to race next Thursday.

Local horse transporter Brodi Phillips is also offering specials for horses travelling to the meeting.

He can pick up Canterbury horses on the Wednesday prior to the meeting, returning them home on the Friday.

The programme for the Gore meeting is on the HRNZ website and nominations close this Monday (08 Aug) at noon.

by Bruce Stewart, for HRNZ