3 minute read

Prize money boosts to some of Rockhampton’s biggest races and feature race days is set to lure more visiting trainers and owners to our racing carnivals.

This year’s XXXX Gold Rockhampton Newmarket (1300m) has received a $25,000 prize money increase and will be run for $100,000 on June 18.

There will also be three additional $20,000 races over the Capricornia Yearling Sale Carnival (April 9-12) including the Mayor’s Plate (1200m).

The other races are a Country Cup (1200m) – restricted to horses that have started five or more times at non-TAB meetings this season – and a Benchmark 65 race over 1500m.

“Council is excited to re-introduce the Mayor’s Plate this year as we work in partnership with the RJC and the Central Queensland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association,” Rockhampton Mayor Margaret Strelow said.

“Council’s decision to sponsor this premier event is driven by the vision to build the Capricornia Yearling Sale race meetings into a valuable regional event.”

These races and prize money boosts will help give Rockhampton an economic shot in the arm.

As was seen last year, trainers and owners travel large distances to be part of racing carnivals at Callaghan Park.

During the last four days of the 2014 XXXX Gold Rockhampton Winter Racing Carnival, no fewer than 84 of the 321 horses accepted to race here were from outside of the region.

These visiting horses came from south-east Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Roma and Deagon); far north Queensland (Townsville); Sydney and New Zealand.

A further 62 horses came from outside of Rockhampton (Yeppoon, Mackay, Gladstone, Emerald and Thangool to name a few centres).

“When trainers and owners travel to Rockhampton for our racing carnivals they often stay here for a number of nights and spend money on themselves and their horses while they are here,” Rockhampton Jockey Club chairman Peter Boodle said.

“The racing industry, as well as being a significant local employer, provides strong economic benefits to the city both directly and indirectly.”

RJC CEO Bill Colgan said racing activities at Callaghan Park directly contributed $7million of spending or income to the region’s businesses and racing participants annually.

“With 15 permanent employees or contractors and over 50 casuals on major race days the RJC spends $1.2 million on employment and $1.6million on repairs and maintenance before capital items,” he said.

“In addition the racing participants receive just under $4 million in prize money annually and the riders collectively earn close to $500,000.”

Mr Colgan said the horses trained in the immediate region consistently numbered more than 100 and training generated its own significant expenditure for labour, equipment, veterinary attention, farrier services and fodder.

“Indirectly the training expenditure in the region is estimated to be close to $2 million.”

One trainer who was excited to hear about the Rocky Newmarket prize money rise was Bill Kenning.

Kenning, of Townsville, has been training his horses out of Rockhampton for the past couple of months while his home race track is out of action.

“I’ve got a couple of horses who could go towards the Newmarket and Cup so with that sort of prize money we might have to stick around,” Kenning said.

A marquee race during the Rockhampton Winter Racing Carnival, the Newmarket becomes the third $100,000 race on the Rockhampton Jockey Club calendar alongside the Rockhampton Cup (1600m) and Capricornia Yearling Sale 2YO Classic (1200m).

In a further boost, the respective lead-up races to the Newmarket and Cup – the Tattersall’s Sprint (1200m) and the DLV Finance Tattersall’s Cup (1600m) have both been increased by $5000 respectively to now carry $25,000 each in prize money.

Lion regional sales manager Greg Watt said the additional investment in the Newmarket was just recognition to the quality and class of the race.

“The winner of the race the past two years, Our Boy Malachi, is testament to the quality of horse needed to win this race,” he said.

“This additional funding just makes the partnership between XXXX, the RJC and the Newmarket even more aligned – CQ’s number one beer and CQ’s number one race.”