Racing Minister launches Queensland Winter Racing Carnival

Racing Minister Grace Grace today officially launched the 2017 Queensland Winter Racing Carnival at Doomben Racecourse. 

Ms Grace said the 2017 Winter Carnival would be bigger and better than ever, with valuable feature races in Queensland’s major racing centres over the next 12 weeks. 

“This year’s Winter Carnival features 61 Black Type events, including eight Group 1 races, in what promises to be one of the highlights of the Australian racing calendar. 

“The carnival officially gets underway in Toowoomba this Saturday with the Weetwood Handicap meeting and I look forward to attending this and many other race days this winter. 

“The Winter Racing Carnival is an opportunity for the Queensland racing industry to shine, with the best of our local participants competing against the best from interstate and across the Tasman.

“There’s more than $14 million in prize money on offer throughout the carnival, providing a tremendous incentive to owners, trainers and jockeys.” 

This year the Feature Race Schedule includes events hosted by the Toowoomba Turf Club, the Brisbane Racing Club at both Eagle Farm and Doomben, the Ipswich Turf Club, the Gold Coast Turf Club, the Sunshine Coast Turf Club, the Rockhampton Jockey Club, the Mackay Turf Club, the Townsville Turf Club and the Cairns Jockey Club. 

Racing Queensland CEO Eliot Forbes said the diversity of racing events would provide multiple opportunities for Queenslanders and visitors to experience the thrill of racing. 

“The Winter Racing Carnival promotional campaign ‘We’re Racing Everywhere’ will also feature race days across all three codes: thoroughbred, greyhound and harness. 

“The key focus is that wherever you are in Queensland, locals and tourists alike can find a track nearby to enjoy the thrill of racing,” said Dr Forbes. 

“A change in the order the Group 1 sprint program this year will see the Doomben 10,000 run two weeks prior to the Kingsford-Smith Cup (formerly BTC Cup), thus providing the perfect lead-in path to the time-honoured Stradbroke Handicap.” 

The campaign also draws attention to the important role country racing plays in the fabric of many of our communities. Recognising the importance of country racing, three new Country Classics series have been launched: 

• Road to Roma: 1 – 29 July
• Outback Showcase: 7 April – 16 June
• Race to the Reef: 26 May – 26 July 

The first of the new series, Roads to Roma starts on the 1^st of July this year and concludes four weeks later. The Outback Showcase begins in April 2018 in Julia Creek and Race to the Reef begins in May 2018. 

The new series includes 18 country and regional racing clubs, with participants competing for prizemoney of $260,000 with each series highlighted by a $30,000 final. The series will wrap-up by the end of July next year. 

To view Racing Queensland’s Racing “We’re Racing Everywhere” video, visit: https://youtu.be/M1yGtF4sg5Q 

Media contact: Martin Philip 0427 919 548