Alcohol ban for Christmas meet

BY JAMIE SEARLE

Racegoers will not be allowed to take alcohol on course at the Southland Racing Club's Christmas meeting at Ascot Park on December 12.

The club received a directive from the Police and Liquor Licensing Authority banning the public from taking alcohol on course, president Sean Bellew said.

Security staff will check chilly bins and bags for alcohol.

With fine weather, club officials expect about 9000 people to attend. Alcohol will be sold on course.

''Outside a Stags' game, it'll be the largest group of people to be entertained in Southland,'' Bellew said.

He added 115 social or business groups had prepaid for the hire of marquees and hospitality rooms and 20 more were on a waiting list.

''We'll have 109 marquees on the day, including two that can each hold 500 people.''

Marquees have been sourced from throughout the South Island, with one coming from Blenheim.

Tickets sold for entry to marquees and hospitality rooms total 4750.

''We'll probably hire every available port-a-loo in Southland,'' Bellew said.

Eight luxury port-a-loos, fixed to a truck and trailer, are coming from Wellington.

Members of the Southland Boys High Rugby Club have agreed to pick up rubbish all day and a septic tank truck is to be on course.

''We'll be cleaning out the septic tank during the day,'' Bellew said.

 A bulk storage area will be set up for alcohol. A liquor licence manager is to oversee the distribution of alcohol on course. Alcohol sales to the public, hospitality rooms and marquees will be monitored on a computer.

The host in each of the marquees and hospitality rooms can txt alcohol orders to the bulk store. Once made up, the orders will be delivered by the rugby club members.

Four refrigerated trucks and two refrigerated shipping containers will be used to store food and alcohol.

Bellew believes record on and off course betting turnovers are possible on the day. He wants at least eight women selling Easybets to racegoers in marquees and public areas. An Easybet is a TAB computer-generated bet. The computer selects the horses. About fifty totalizator staff, including some Dunedin and Christchurch, are to work at the race meeting.

A photographer from Dunedin will take crowd photos. The photographer carries a portable printer which produces photos instantly.

- © Fairfax NZ News