The most lucrative Queensland Racing Carnival in history is set to take centre stage this year.
Commencing on May 4 with the Group 2 Queensland Guineas, more than $28 million in prize money will be up for grabs, headlined by nine million-dollar races and 55 black-type features across 11 race meetings.
The trilogy of million-dollar sprints – headlined by the $3 million The Star Stradbroke Handicap – will once again draw some of the nation’s best sprinters to the Sunshine State, with the $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 and $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup the perfectly placed lead-up races.
Stradbroke Day will once again act as the crowning jewel of the Carnival, with the $3 million Group 1 sitting alongside the $1 million Group 1 JJ Atkins and the $1.2 million Group 2 Q22 on a day that will boast more than $6.5 million in total prize money.
The Q22 will hold additional allure in 2024, with the Melbourne Racing Club confirming that the race will now hold a golden ticket into the famous $5 million Group 1 Caulfield Cup in October.
In addition, a suite of attractive bonuses will again be on offer, with any eligible horse that runs first or second in the Queensland Derby or Queensland Oaks, followed by a top-three finish in the Q22, receiving a $100,000 cash bonus or $250,000 QTISx voucher.
“The Queensland Racing Carnival remains one of the state’s most iconic racing events, and this year’s programme is our most innovative and attractive yet,” Racing Minister Grace Grace said.
“Headlined by the $3 million Stradbroke, the future stars of Australasian racing are born right here in the Sunshine State, which speaks to our impact as the breeding ground of future champions.
“In 2023, we saw past and future The Everest champions, Giga Kick and Think About It, dominate the Winter Carnival, as well as Q22 champion, Without A Fight, who went on to claim the Caulfield Cup/Melbourne Cup double for the first time since Ethereal in 2001.”
Magic Millions will boast a footprint as part of this year’s Carnival, with a new race meeting to be staged under lights at the Gold Coast Turf Club for the first time in May.
The meeting will be headlined by a $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic over 1000 metres, coinciding with the Gold Coast National Weanling, Broodmare and Yearling Sale.
The famous Bundamba crowd will be on hand to witness the feature Ipswich Cup run for $250,000 for the first time on June 22, while the Sunshine Coast Turf Club’s Group 3 Winx Guineas, alongside the Listed Caloundra Cup and Glasshouse Handicap, will close out the Queensland Racing Carnival on July 6.
Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott said that the Queensland Racing Carnival at its core is about championing everything that is great about the Sunshine State.
“There’s no better place to race than the Queensland Racing Carnival,” Mr Scott said.
“Every year, we see the next generation of stars make their name right here in Queensland, with eight Group 1s and nine million-dollar races ensuring all eyes are on SEQ for almost three months of feature racing.
“For the first time, we welcome Magic Millions to the programme thanks to a new $1 million race for 2YOs under lights, strategically placed to sit alongside the popular Gold Coast National Weanling, Broodmare and Yearling Sale in May.”
At the front-end of the programme, the $500,000 Group 2 TAB A.D. Hollindale Stakes will once again play host to some of Australasia’s best middle-distance horses, providing the perfect platform into both the $1 million Group 1 Doomben Cup and the Q22.
Meanwhile, the famous Tattersall’s meeting on June 29 will play host to the final Group 1 of the season – the $700,000 Tattersall’s Tiara – alongside the ever-popular Battle of the Bush Final, where country horses battle it out on the metropolitan stage for $200,000 in stakes.
Brisbane Racing Club CEO Tony Partridge said The Star Stradbroke Season is eagerly anticipated by racing fans from around the country.
“Stradbroke Season is both the last chance for established champions to notch up more black-type in the racing year, and the first chance for emerging horses to unleash ahead of Spring riches,” he said.
“Attracting the best jockeys in the world and now including three races from the world’s top 100 Group 1s, Stradbroke Season delivers for Queensland locals and interstate visitors.
“Every Queensland trainer dreams of winning our iconic The Star Stradbroke – our richest Group 1 race – and every year the field is a mix of locals with modestly priced horses versus expensive superstars from the south.”
Click here to see the full 2024 Queensland Racing Carnival programme.