BRC PROACTIVE IN LOOKING TO ATTRACT GREATER INTERSTATE INTEREST IN THE BRISBANE CARNIVAL

By Graham Potter | Thursday, January 19, 2012

The new incentive announced by the Brisbane Racing Club (BRC) to tempt selected feature race winners throughout the country to participate in two of the major races during the Brisbane Winter Carnival, and so boost the status of those races in particular and the carnival in general, is to be welcomed.

So many times racing hierarchy has to field accusations that they ‘do nothing’. Here, at least, is a positive sign of officials being proactive in looking for an improved outcome for racing in the state and it should be recognized as such.

The incentive scheme has been made possible by the partnership which has been forged between the BRC and Events Queensland. It will be promoted as ‘The Australasian Challenge’ and it has the express aim of providing, in the words of BRC Chairman Kevin Dixon, ‘the ultimate showdown of the best horses in the country at the end of the racing year during Brisbane’s winter.’

The two race profiles set to benefit from this incentive are the Stradbroke Handicap and the Queensland Oaks.

Kevin Dixon explained the details of the incentive scheme.

“For the $1 million, Group 1, AAMI Stradbroke, the winners of the following races from Australia and New Zealand will be invited to come to Brisbane … the Winterbottom Stakes in Western Australia, the Newmarket Handicap in Victoria, The TJ Smith in New South Wales, the Goodwood in South Australia and the Telegraph Handicap in New Zealand.

“For the Group 1 Treasury Casino Queensland Oaks, which is for three-year-old fillies right at the end of the season …which means it is their last chance to add to their filly resume, we will be inviting the winners of the VRC Oaks, the New Zealand Oaks, the Western Australian Oaks, the Australian Turf Club Oaks and the Australasian Oaks in South Australia.

“Each of those invitations comes with their travel expenses being paid, their nomination and acceptance fees being paid and automatic, ballot exempt entry into the race.

“This announcement at this time is important for a number of reasons.

“As trainers look towards setting programs for their horses for the coming six months, they do that with a couple of things they have to balance up.

“One … is the cost they are going to incur on behalf of their owners. Two … what races will they or won’t they qualify for … and they have to try and minimize the risks in setting a program that might overly burden their owners in terms of costs and still not result into an entry into a race.

“What we are doing through this initiative is saying to those trainers we have taken the risk out of coming to Brisbane. Your costs will be paid and you know you will get a start in the race.

“It is a no-cost option with a guaranteed run. So that allows them now to plan with some confidence as they go through their programs.

“What the incentive also does is it allows the best of the best to meet each other here in Brisbane and allows our local trainers to take on the best and I know they look forward to that challenge with some excitement.

“To the average punter, what this means is that they will be able to see in the flesh the best horses from around Australasia competing in their own back yard and increasing the quality in the race-fields that are being presented beyond what we have seen before.”

Dixon also gave further insight on the link that has been established between the BRC and Events Queensland.

“The Brisbane Racing Carnival attracts in-between 60 000 and 80 000 people during the five Saturdays. A large proportion of those are from inter-state.

“It is very similar to a lot of other events that Events Queensland get involved with. They have spent something like $180 million odd in the last few years on attracting events to Queensland.

“The economic equation for events that are really attractive, that bring people to Queensland for the purpose of boosting the economy is a very important consideration. Events Queensland have taken a look at this over the last few years and they believe that the exercise with the BRC will be worthwhile and I certainly concur with that.

“The bottom line is we are trying to do is attract greater interest from outside the state. The Brisbane Racing Carnival can continue to grow in its normal fashion, being a major event during the winter time in Brisbane, however, as we all know, the quality of racing, the investment into the economy, the goodness of the whole event increases dramatically the more you can attract interest around the country. We already attract a significant amount of interest. We want to increase that and that is what this initiative is all about.”

*Dixon added one more initiative to the announcement. It is an added incentive for trainers to come to Brisbane. The chance to win a $100 000 motor car will be waiting for any trainer who is able to have a horse from his or her stable finish in the first four in both the Doomben 10 000 and the Stradbroke. Should no trainer achieve that feat, the chance will fall to the trainer of the winner of the Stradbroke. The person in question will choose a key from fifty keys. If it fits the car, he will drive it away as the proud, new owner of the vehicle.

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