Club out to make most of rare summer day meeting

 Horses and drivers get wet at Waikouaiti Beach yesterday morning. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
Horses and drivers get wet at Waikouaiti Beach yesterday morning. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
It is 60 years almost to the day since Forbury Park staged its first meeting under lights but they will not be needed today.

It is a rare day meeting for the club, the eight race-programme set to start at 1pm.

The club usually races at nights and the majority of its meetings are during the winter season.

But racing dates are allocated nationwide by Racing New Zealand and it decided to give Forbury Park the Wednesday afternoon date.

Rachel Pullar. PHOTO: ODT FILES
Rachel Pullar. PHOTO: ODT FILES

Racing first took place under lights at Forbury Park on January 26, 1961.

Forbury Park Trotting Club chief executive Rachel Pullar said the club had been given today’s date and was hoping to make the most of it.

She said the day was forecast to be great so that should make for a good day with more than 100 horses nominated for the meeting.

With the hot weather, animal welfare will be a top priority.

Pullar said the stipendiary stewards would keep a close watch on horses and plenty of water was available in the stables.

Needing water to keep horses cool may seem hard to believe to those who go to Forbury Park in the winter months.

Waikouaiti trainer Amber Hoffman will have about half a dozen horses lining up this afternoon.

She worked the majority of them yesterday on the Waikouaiti beach.

Hoffman said she ran the horses on the sand and in the water every day as it was good on their legs and they enjoyed the time in the sea.

 

Add a Comment