THE extra $25 million increase in prizemoney allotted for all levels of racing recently announced by Racing NSW, means returns to owners and participants now tally over $336m in annual purses - the highest of any state.
The major beneficiary of the increase is the Australian Turf Club's two new $2m races, but importantly - for rural enthusiasts, "The Big Dance" is only for country prepared horses.
The Big Dance will be part of Randwick's festive "Melbourne Cup" day program and will annually headline its first Tuesday meet in November. This new feature over 1600 metres is restricted to horses contesting one of 25 selected NSW country cups throughout the year.
The gaiety of the Randwick day will include a headline musical act performing after the races, and combined with the new Winx Stand for general admission racegoers, the meeting will ensure a premium experience which is hoped to attract new people to racing.
The following Saturday meet at Rosehill will see the other new $2m event, "The Five Diamonds" a race only for five-year-olds and run over 1800 metres, the event being on the same program as the $1m Golden Gift.
Happy days if you can come up with a good horse racing in the spring, with the ATC Spring Champion Stakes-G1 to have a prizemoney increase to $2m, and now booked for Saturday October 22.
To recognise legendary Sydney media identities Ken Callander and Max Presnell, the former Stan Fox Stakes-G2 has been renamed the Callander-Presnell and will be included on Spring Champion Stakes day.
Also, a new $500,000 lead up race (to Spring Champion Stakes) over 1400m will be run a fortnight earlier at Randwick known as the Tapp-Craig, which honours legendary race-calling greats Johnny Tapp and Ian Craig.
Another part of Sydney's major $27m added investment is a major upgrade of the Warwick Farm racecourse.
MEANWHILE Gayna Williams has a pair of gallopers, Zoo Station and Tags, competing in Randwick's autumn country feature on April 2 following the quinella of her gallopers in the Central Districts Racing Association's Newhaven Park Country Championship Qualifier at Mudgee last Sunday.
By former Arrowfield Stud shuttler Animal Kingdom, Zoo Station just "pipped" Tags at the post to consolidate its Randwick places.
By Queensland based Exceed And Excel stallion Sidestep, Tags finished third to the David Smith prepared Lockdown Gamble at his previous start, but this time the Casino Prince gelding was third in the Mudgee feature.
Off the mark
CHURCHILL, Pariah, Impending, Jukebox and De Gaulle are the latest young sires to be represented with its first Australian winners over recent weeks.
While the sire of three stakes winners in Europe, Irish bred and Coolmore Stud based Churchill has had two first crop juvenile winners in Sydney, Robusto and Conqueror.
By Arrowfield Stud's Redoute's Choice, Pariah has been initially represented with two-year-old Narabelle, which was a $32,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate via Noralla Stud, Warwick, Queensland.
Juvenile colt, Sir Bailey became the first winner by Impending, following his win at Sandown. A Godolphin home-bred standing at Northwood Park at Seymour, Impending is by champion Lonhro.
Sir Bailey is the first foal of the 2016 Caulfield Cup-G1 winner Jameka (by Myboycharlie). In Queensland, Aquis stallion Jukebox has joined stable companions Invader, Kobayashi, Speith and The Mission to have sired first crop juvenile winners this season.
A Group winner by Snitzel, Jukebox was represented with successful fillies Jukebox Flyer (at Newcastle) and Cabrinella (Ipswich). Unraced De Gaulle has also joined the rank of proven sire sons of champion stallion Exceed And Excel after his first crop three-year-old daughter, Madame Du Gast, won on debut at Flemington.
Vale Marina
TRAGIC to hear of the passing of 30-year-old apprentice hoop Marina Morel following injuries sustained during a trackwork fall at Gulgong last month. French born Morel, pursued her racing interest after arriving in Australia seven years ago. She rode trackwork for Luke Thomas at Cessnock, before joining the Brett Thompson stable last year where she became an apprentice rider.
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