The meeting is in its third year, but the success of the meetings on Tuesdays in 2014 and 2015 has given the Eastern Districts Racing Club, under the banner of the Waikouaiti Trotting Club, the chance for a better time slot.
Eastern Districts president Andrew Faulks said much of the success for the meeting was down to the work of former Waikouaiti trainer Bruce Negus.
"Bruce has been pretty instrumental with the initiatives that have been going on, and that's made it a pretty big thing in the last couple of years,'' Faulks said.
"Bruce has got a lot of contacts.''
The equalisator meeting held by the club had been slowly dropping in popularity, which prompted to club to seek a race-meeting licence.
"A lot of people put a lot of hard work in for a long time,'' he said.
"We had big days there with 20-odd heats sometimes and it would go all night. There was money left there and we would get less and less horses coming to the equalisator, and it was getting to be a bit of a waste of time.
"So instead of giving the money away, we thought we'd start our own club and do a bit.''
The youth versus experience competition was a masterstroke, ensuring casual punters had well-known drivers to bet on, including the likes of Australian drivers Amanda Turnbull and Lance Justice.
Turnbull is unable to make it this year, but Justice returns.
The eligibility rules have been tweaked slightly to ensure Dexter Dunn will be able to drive.
Dunn is joined in the youth team by Zac Butcher, Craig Ferguson, Samantha Ottley, Matthew Williamson and Nathan Williamson.
The experience team consists of Justice, David Butcher, Ken Barron, Allan Beck, Jim Curtin and Ricky May.
The team and individual competition will be run over nine heats, and the winning driver will earn $2000 and the Greg Brodie Trophy.
The leading trainer on the day will also earn $2000 along with the Pat Campbell Memorial Trophy, while the winning owner of the $10,000 c2 and faster discretionary handicap pace will win a free service to Auckland Reactor from race sponsor Alabar.
The club has also worked hard to gain individual sponsorship for the 12 drivers and each driver will wear sponsor's colours for the nine races.
"This unique sponsorship has enabled our significant stake increase [to $7000],'' Negus said.
An amateur drivers' race wraps the day while the trophies are handed out, along with free oysters.
The club is also hoping to drive turnover with a high-value on-course punters club.
The entry fee is $500, and the selections will be made by leading form analyst Craig "The Whale'' Thompson.
