Blue September surpasses last year's total

Less than halfway through this current campaign, Harness Racing New Zealand's Blue September total has already eclipsed last year's effort.

The annual fund-raiser for the New Zealand Prostate Cancer Foundation has been a success on and off the course.

An auction of 59 items on HRNZ's Facebook page closed last night, with $6693 raised. The lot that fetched the most money was the $1000 raised for an Addington race sponsorship. All 59 items, which had been generously donated by a wide variety of people, groups and businesses, were sold.

On course the Blue September ambassadors have been reining home the winners, with 17 races won so far this month. Zachary Butcher leads the way so far with 7. He's raised $4100.

There are 10 Blue September drivers and every time they win wearing the blue pants money goes to the cause through individual sponsorship, the clubs, HRNZ and other parties.

In the past week Butcher won at Cambridge and Addington, while Robbie Close was successful at Addington, and Brent Barclay and Matty Williamson chimed in at Wyndham.

The ten drivers/ambassadors are :

Blair Orange
Brent Barclay
Jonny Cox
Korbyn Newman
Matthew Williamson
Mark Hurrell
Robbie Close
Todd Mitchell
Zachary Butcher
Zev Meredith

It's now estimated the figure so far for September has topped $20,000 - and that was the total raised for the whole of the campaign last year.

Many more initiatives are planned for the next fortnight or so that total is set to rise dramatically between now and the end of the month.