Queensland pacers are poised to shine next year with the QBRED Feature Night set to be run as a standalone affair in August.
Hot on the heals of the highly successful TAB Queensland Constellations, the QBRED Feature Night will shift to August 20, 2022, having been run in May this year, and will incorporate four $100,000 Group 1 features. They are:
- 2YO QBRED Fillies TRIAD;
- 2YO QBRED Colts & Geldings TRIAD;
- 3YO QBRED Fillies TRIAD; and
- 3YO QBRED Colts & Geldings TRIAD.
The 4YO QBRED Mares TRIAD and the 4YO QBRED Colts & Entires TRIAD will also be staged on the night.
As part of the calendar changes, the $150,000 Group 1 Albion Park Gold will relocate to the Constellations for horses purchased at the 2021 APG Brisbane Sale, with heats scheduled for Friday, July 8 before the Final on Saturday, July 16.
RQ CEO Brendan Parnell said the programming changes had been developed following industry feedback and would provide the perfect platform to showcase the highly regarded QBRED scheme.
“QBRED continues to set the standard as the nation’s premier breeding incentive scheme for standardbreds,” Mr Parnell said.
“With the recent move of seasons to a calendar year, the TRIADS are well suited to August and will ensure the night is a true celebration of the QBRED scheme.
“The relocation of the APG Brisbane Sale Final also bolsters the Constellations, with Queensland’s three most lucrative races – the APG, The Rising Sun and Blacks A Fake – providing incredible highlights throughout the Carnival.”
As part of the new-look program, there will also be changes to field selection for the 2YO and 3YO TRIAD Finals.
In each series, the top-four ranked horses will progress directly through to the Finals and will not be eligible to contest the heats.
The remaining places in the Finals will be determined by qualifiers from the heats.
Further QBRED enhancements will be rolled out in 2022 including the ‘first-win’ bonus rising to $14,000 and feature races for two-year-olds and three year-olds, along with the Breeders’ Classics on May 21 and QBRED For Life on December 10.
QBRED offers more than $3.5 million in prize money and bonuses with record-breaking returns available next year.