Racing Queensland’s (RQ) vision to turn Saturday’s $1.3 million ‘Road To Magic Millions Raceday’ into one of Queensland’s premier racing events has paid immediate dividends, with some of Australia’s best participants out to take on Queensland’s best at Doomben.
Trainers Gai Waterhouse, Darren Weir, Chris Waller, Tony McEvoy and James Cummings will all be represented at the meeting, joining jockeys Corey Brown, Damian Lane and Jamie Kah and more at the bumper nine-race program.
Every one of the nine races matters, with the time-honoured Bernborough Handicap headlining five black-type races, the Summer Provincial Series Final, four Magic Millions wild card qualifying races and three legs of the $1.6 million UBET Summer Crowns Series.
RQ Chief Executive Officer Dr Eliot Forbes said the return of the UBET Summer Crowns, increasing the Bernborough Handicap stakes to $300,000, and programming the carnival to provide an ideal platform leading into next month’s $10 million Magic Millions Day ensured Queensland was Australia’s racing hot-spot during the holiday period.
“The lure of almost $17 million in Queensland Summer Racing Carnival and UBET Summer Crowns Series stakes and bonuses has attracted some of Australia’s leading trainers and jockeys to Queensland this summer,” Dr Forbes said.
“As a result, the early wagering results for this year’s Carnival have been particularly pleasing. Lough Neagh Stakes Day at the Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) achieved an average turnover increase of 43% compared to the same meeting in 2016, with five black-type races, excellent field sizes and a strong interstate presence all contributing to its success."
These early results follow a 7.1% increase on total turnover during the 2016 carnival for the same period a year prior, and an increase of 22.4% in average turnover per-race.
Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott arrive in Queensland chasing a $50,000 UBET Summer Crown bonus with Cabeza de Vaca. The gelding can claim the bonus by winning the Bernborough Handicap, after finishing second in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick.
“Racing Queensland introduced a Villiers/Bernborough Double bonus to attract even more quality horses to the carnival. A winning double bonus of $100,000 was on offer, as well as a $50,000 bonus for any horse who placed in the Villiers, and goes on to win the Bernborough,” Dr Forbes said.
Dr Forbes said he also looked forward to the sprinters and the 3YOs chasing $900,000 in UBET Summer Crowns Bonuses on Saturday.
Queensland-trained Whypeeo and Sydney-based colt Pierata are still live chances to claim the $500,000 UBET 3YO Summer Crown bonus, if one can salute in the $200,000 Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m) on Saturday.
“These horses finished first and second in a thrilling running of the Gold Edition plate on December 16. The race proved extremely popular with punters, achieving national turnover of $4.3 million,” Dr Forbes said.
Last year’s UBET Summer Sprint Crown winner, Most Important, and four-time stakes winning sprinter Monsieur Gustave head into the third leg of the $400,000 UBET Summer Sprint Crown with one win each.
“If Most Important can go on to win The Buffering and then either the Magic Millions Cup or Magic Millions Sprint on January 13, he will have netted his trainer Tony Gollan and owners $900,000 in bonuses in the space of one year,” Dr Forbes said.
“He will face a serious challenge from Darryl Hansen’s Monsiuer Gustave, who has proven to be one of Queensland’s most promising racehorses, winning four stakes races in-a-row between June and December this year.”
The UBET 2YO Summer Crown bonus cannot be claimed this year, with earlier winners Ef Troop, Outback Barbie and Ardoyne Road all bypassing Saturday’s Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes.
The $50,000 UBET Summer Crowns Trainers and Jockeys bonus also continues. Corey Brown (NSW) and Jim Byrne (QLD) are locked in a tight battle for the jockeys’ bonus, while Gollan sits four points ahead of Toby Edmonds in the trainers’ title.
BRC Racing Manager Bart Sinclair said he looked forward to an exciting day both on and off the track. General Admission (pre-sale) tickets start from just $10, with dining and group packages ranging from $25-$100pp.
“The BRC will also open the Archive on the first floor of the public grandstand at Doomben from 12pm until 3pm. The Archive has a large collection of photographs, a great library and some wonderful racing memorabilia,” Mr Sinclair said.