The TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival is set to showcase its first 'magical moment' on Saturday with the running of the Sky Racing Mooloolaba Cup at the Sunshine Coast.
With more than $20 million in prize money and bonuses, as well as 31 feature races, Australia’s most exciting Summer Racing Carnival will take centre stage over nine action-packed weeks, culminating with The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions.
The Carnival gets underway with coast-to-coast meetings, moving from the Sunshine to the Gold Coast for the Tattersall's Celebration Season Raceday on November 27, providing a thrilling lead-up to the Magic Millions.
Five consecutive weeks of action at the Brisbane Racing Club culminates in the Magic Millions Prelude Raceday on New Year’s Day, with 15 black-type races and six chances to secure a lucrative wildcard into Queensland’s richest raceday at the Gold Coast.
Group racing commences on December 4 at Doomben, with the $200,000 Group 3 George Moore Stakes over 1200 metres, a day that also features the finals for both the Country Cups Challenge and Country Stampede.
The renowned two-year-old programme will once again include the Listed Calaway Girl and Phelan Ready (December 11); and Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes (December 26) as a lead-in to the famed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Innovation continues to be at the forefront of the summer, with The Gateway for four-year-olds providing a win and you’re into the TAB Stradbroke Handicap next June, with a pair of Queensland’s brightest stars in Apache Chase and Go Wandji touted to line up in this year’s edition.
To coincide with the 2021 Country Cups series, RQ has also launched “Fashions from afar” for country racegoers off the track, culminating in a December 4 Final at Doomben on George Moore Stakes Raceday.
“The TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival continues to go from strength to strength,” Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said.
“On the back of what has been another challenging year for the industry and the community more broadly, we are excited by what lies ahead for the Sunshine State over the next two months.
“The $12 million Queensland Thoroughbred Incentive Scheme will also play a major part across the Carnival, with a number of QTIS bonuses on offer, as well as our QTISx bonus.
“As we embark on our most ambitious – and lucrative -Summer Carnival yet, we welcome the opportunity to showcase everything that is great about racing in the Sunshine State – and what makes Queensland the ‘must-race’ summer destination.”
The Carnival culminates at the Gold Coast Turf Club, hosting back-to-back meetings including the Aquis Wave Raceday on January 8 before The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Raceday.
In addition to the 1800-metre summer derby - The Wave - for three and four-year-olds, the Aquis Gold Nugget and the Aquis Gold Pearl both return as the perfect lead in towards the 2YO Classic, with recent winners including Houtzen, Sunlight, Exhilarates and Wisdom Of Water.
The day will also feature the $250,000 Magic Millions Country Cup, as well as two Magic Millions Rising Stars races for the boys and girls, also worth a quarter of a million dollars.
However, the jewel in the Summer Carnival’s crown continues to be the Magic Millions.
Queensland’s richest raceday takes centre stage on January 15, with $10 million in prize money and bonuses up for grabs, highlighted by the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Magic Millions 3YO Guineas – both worth $2 million.
The popular Magic Millions Women’s Bonuses will once again be on offer, with $750,000 in total across both the 2YO Classic and 3YO Guineas races.
“Over the last six plus years, the Queensland Summer Racing Carnival has evolved into a program that our top trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders must participate in,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said.
“It’s a legitimate racing carnival at the best destination in summer alongside the largest yearling sale in the Southern Hemisphere.
“We simply can’t wait for it to start.
“The 2022 edition of the $10.25m The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Raceday is set to be one of the most exciting events on the Australian racing calendar.
“There’s never been more anticipation leading into a Summer Carnival of the horses and participants targeting the day.”
Click here to see the full programme for the 2021/22 TAB Queensland Summer Racing Carnival.