The 2022 TAB Queensland Racing Carnival is set to receive a prize money boost with no less than eight features to be bolstered next year and further innovation including for The Q22.
With the Group 1 Doomben Cup and Queensland Derby swelling the million-dollar Winter Carnival features from five to seven, ‘Stradbroke Season’ will receive major enhancements including:
- Queensland Derby – Rises to $1 million from $600,000;
- Doomben Cup – Rises to $1 million from $700,000;
- Queensland Oaks – Rises to $700,000 from $600,000;
- BRC Sprint – Rises to $250,000 from $175,000; and
- Moreton Cup – Rises to $250,000 from $200,000.
Further Queensland Carnival increases will be provided at Tattersall’s, Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast including:
- Tattersall’s Tiara – Rises to $700,000 from $600,000;
- Eye Liner – Rises to $200,000 from $175,000; and
- Winx Guineas – Rises to $200,000 from $175,000.
A new $150,000 feature race for three-year-old fillies will also be staged on the Tattersall’s meeting, with a view to obtaining black-type status in future years.
Racing Minister Grace Grace said the Queensland Winter Carnival continued to get bigger and better each year with record-breaking prize money on offer.
“If past Carnivals are anything to go by, we are in for another incredible year with three $1million features on Stradbroke Day alone,” she said.
“This means seven races throughout the Carnival with $1 million per race up for grabs – there really is no better place to come and race during the winter months.
“It was incredible to see young and emerging superstars like Zaaki, Eduardo and our very own Incentivise starring throughout the Spring Carnival and I’m excited to see how they build on this success.
“I’m looking forward to next year’s Carnival being our most exciting one yet.”
A raft of new bonuses will be in-play next year, with any horse that can run first or second in the Queensland Derby or Queensland Oaks, and can then run top-three in the Q22, eligible for a $100,000 cash bonus or $250,000 QTISx voucher.
In addition, Oaks Day will be turbo-charged for Queenslanders, with all supporting races to the Group 1 feature including a $25,000 QTIS cash bonus or a $50,000 QTISx voucher to eligible winners.
“We really want to hero Queensland on Oaks Day with the Magic Millions National Classic and the QTIS bonuses,” RQ CEO Brendan Parnell said.
“Our three-year-old program has really been bolstered, with the prize money increases for the Oaks and Derby, along with the Q22 incentives and the increase for the Winx Guineas.
“We want to see Australia’s stars campaign during winter, and these enhancements support that, with older horses able to come through the Hollindale, a richer Doomben Cup and then onto the Q22.
“Once again, the fillies and mares program gets a boost with the Tiara and the Tattersall’s 3YO Fillies, while the time honoured Eye Liner also enjoys a raise.”
No less than six individual horses graduated from this year’s Stradbroke Season to win Group 1 races during the Melbourne and Sydney spring carnivals.
Stradbroke Season’s reputation for being a key Everest guide was borne out again, with Doomben 10,000 winner Eduardo running third in the world’s richest sprint, while Wild Ruler and Jonker both came out of the Doomben and Eagle Farm Group 1 sprints to win majors in Melbourne.
And the theme of new superstars of the turf emerging in Brisbane also continued, with Incentivise and Zaaki winning five Group 1s between them in the spring.
Brisbane Racing Club CEO Tony Partridge said Stradbroke Season once again reinforced its reputation as the perfect destination to not only win big prizemoney, but to set up the chance to win more riches later in the year.
“Stradbroke season is where the stars of tomorrow emerge and use as a launching pad to win lucrative races in the spring,” MrPartridge said.
“Results of The Everest, and the past decade of Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and the Cox Plate show that racing at that time of year is conducive to success in those races.
“Stradbroke season is a huge drawcard and combined with seven individual $1 million races and other features on the calendar enhanced, the interest in Queensland racing is going to be stronger than ever in 2022.”
A number of race distances have also been altered with the Tattersall’s Stakes dropping back from 1800m to 1400m and the Bright Shadow reducing from 1200m to 1110m.
The Oxlade Stakes increases from 1200m to 1300m.
The QTIS Gold Jewel has been re-scheduled to run on Queensland Jewel Day in March.
Click here to see the full program for the 2022 TAB Queensland Winter Racing Carnival.