Cook And Cuddle In Date Shift
- Tuesday, 04 August 2009 00:00
Wellington's Captain Cook Stakes and Cuddle Stakes are to have date changes.
The Captain Cook Stakes, a Group One weight-for-age event over 1600m, will move from late October to December 5, just over three weeks after the Coupland's Bakeries Mile at Riccarton on November 11 and three weeks before the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The Group Three Cuddle Stakes for fillies and mares over 1600m will be run on October 24, instead of Melbourne Cup day. It will be run as a set weight and penalties race instead of a handicap.
The changes were requested by the RACE group of clubs, which includes the Wellington Racing Club (WRC) that hosts the two races, and were approved by the thoroughbred industry's Graded Stakes Committee (GSC) and Pattern Review Committee (PRC).
GSC chairman Chas Amon said both committees agreed the Captain Cook Stakes was not working in its current position, because it was so close to the Hawke's Bay spring carnival.
"It is likely that the Cuddle Stakes will be improved with the set weights and penalties conditions and the earlier date," he said.
RACE group racing manager Brent Wall said the WRC believed the change in dates would help strengthen the quality of the fields for the two races.
"The Captain Cook has struggled in recent times being three weeks after New Zealand's biggest WFA race. The pattern of these races allows trainers to have valuable lead-ups to races at Riccarton and Ellerslie."
