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Racing SA, in partnership with TAB and the South Australian Jockey Club, is pleased to introduce ‘TAB Finals Day’ – a new day of feature racing for South Australia.
To be held on Saturday, 12 November, 2022, TAB Finals Day will celebrate South Australian Thoroughbred Racing's Hall of Fame inductees across a card made up of series finals.
The nine-race program will incorporate three races named after the 2022 Hall of Fame inductees – all Provincial and Country level finals races.
The remaining six races on the card will also be finals races, each with metropolitan level prizemoney of no less than $100,000.
Included in this will be the newly created Gytrash Series, an open 1100m race named in honour of Gordon Richards' Group 1 winning sprinter who has recently retired and was the 2020 champion race horse of the year.
The six metropolitan-level finals races are as follows:
- Rebel Raider Series (3YO 1200m)
- Viddora Series (Fillies & Mares 1200m)
- Gytrash Series *New Series* (Open 1100m)
- Riziz Series (BM68 1100m)
- Happy Trails Series (Open 1600m)
- Skybeau Series (BM75 2500m)
The three Provincial and Country finals, to be named in honour of the 2022 SA Hall of Fame inductees, are as follows:
- Restricted Series Final (BM64 1800m)
- Country Series Final (BM70 1600m)
- Racin Country Sprint Final (BM70 1200m)
Racing SA CEO Nick Redin said TAB Finals Day would be a unique day in the South Australian racing calendar.
"We're really excited about the benefits this day will bring for the local industry. It's about creating a raceday event that will honour our most celebrated participants, our Hall of Fame inductees, while providing an additional day of quality racing for participants and punters alike," Redin said.
"The creation of the Finals Day means Morphettville will now have an additional feature race day and one aligned with the back-end of Victoria's Spring Racing Carnival.
"This provides participants from across the state the opportunity to be part of another day of high-quality racing, and is also expected to grow wagering and funds returned to the industry."
For the first time this year, South Australian Thoroughbred Racing's Hall of Fame and Industry Awards will be held as standalone events, with the Hall of Fame celebrations to now be held as part of TAB Finals Day in the Terrace Bar at Morphettville.
The South Australian Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame is the highest of accolades awarded to both human and horse. It was established in 2001 to celebrate the achievements of the horses, jockeys, trainers and administrators who, through their dedication and contribution to thoroughbred racing, have become heroes of the turf.
In order to qualify for the nine events held on TAB Finals Day, horses will have to run in at least one heat to earn points based on finishing order - 10 points for 1st, 5 points for 2nd, 3 points for 3rd, 2 points for 4th and 1 point for remaining runners. Horses will gain entry to the finals in order of points, from most to least.