With the TAB Everest fascinating Australia and the world of racing and The Kosciuszko capturing the community of country racing in NSW, provincial racing now has its own summit to climb this spring.
Introducing the Sky Racing Provincial Spring Series, which gets underway at Wyong on Sunday 21st October.
The new $400,000 race series for provincial horses, is a joint venture of Racing NSW and the five provincial race clubs of Wyong, Hawkesbury, Newcastle, Kembla Grange and Gosford.
Based on the successful Polytrack Provincial Championships in autumn, the series is comprised of five new $50,000 qualifying races that will be run across the NSW provincial clubs over six weeks, culminating in the $150,000 final over 1600m, to be held at Kembla on Saturday, 1st December 2018.
Racing NSW and the five provincial clubs are funding the new series, which will be sponsored by Sky Racing.
With heats of 1350m, 1400m, 1500m and 1600m, provincial trainers will put forward their stable stars with the first three placegetters from each heat qualifying for the final.
Fourth placegetters from each heat will be declared emergencies for the final in December.
The five provincial clubs have agreed to jointly underwrite the cost of staging the new series and the final, with additional funding support from Racing NSW. In future years the final will be rotated amongst the five clubs.
Provincial Racing Club Chairman, David Jewell, has welcomed the sponsorship by Sky Racing of the new series and the significant support being provided by Racing NSW.
“We would like to think if the Sky Racing Provincial Series is successful, that we could look to conduct a winter and summer series along similar lines in the future to provide even more opportunities for provincial-trained horses.”
Series Schedule:
Heat 1: Sunday 21 Oct – Wyong, 1350m
Heat 2: Saturday 27 Oct – Kembla Grange, 1400m
Heat 3: Thursday 8 Nov – Hawkesbury, 1500m
Heat 4: Sunday 18 Nov – Newcastle, 1500m
Heat 5: Saturday 24 Nov – Gosford, 1600m
Final: Saturday 1 Dec – Kembla Grange, 1600m
Qualifying Race program details
Of $50,000. 1st $22,000, 2nd $8,950, 3rd $5,000, 4th $3,400, 5th $2,000, 6th $1,650, 7th $1,500, 8th $1,500, 9th $1,500, 10th $1,500, Equine Welfare Fund $500, Jockey Welfare Fund $500.
Class 5, Set Weights, Three-Years-Old and Upwards, No sex restriction. Restricted to horses trained by a NSW Provincial trainer in accordance with the 5 provincial clubs of PRANSW. To be eligible a horse must have had its last three starts for an eligible provincial trainer. SET WEIGHTS – Class 5 – 59kgs Class 4 – 57.5kgs Class 3 and below 56kgs. Fillies and Mares allowed 2kgs. No allowance for 3yos. If a ballot is required it will be done on benchmark order. 1st 2nd and 3rd qualify for the final. Once qualified, horses are NOT permitted to run in another Heat and MUST run in the final unless scratched by Stewards with a Vet’s Certificate. The 4th placegetter from each heat will be declared an emergency for the final in benchmark order. If equal Benchmark then by lot. BOBS Bonus Available Up To $19,250. Apprentices can claim.
