THE SUNSHINE COAST NEWSPAPER COLUMN - RACING BETS ON COASTAL ATTRACTION TO KICK OFF THE NEW YEAR

By Graham Potter | Monday, November 17, 2014

Graham Potter writes a weekly column for the Sunshine Coast daily. Due to demand from those having trouble accessing the paper these columns are now also published on HRO courtesy of the Sunshine Coast daily.

When the catalogue for the Magic Millions January Sale at the Gold Coast is released (it is now available on-line) you know we are accelerating towards a sizzling summer of feature race racing.

That January date means so much to so many people. From the vendors and their representatives currently preparing their yearlings for the sale, to the buyers … local, national and international … who will engage in a bidding battle to secure their preferred purchase, the week-long ‘party’ will successfully kick start the new year for some while leaving others with a disappointing beginning to 2015.

And of course there is also the Magic Millions race-day (on January 10), a race-meeting restricted to sales graduates, where a small percentage of those who won the bidding war in the sales ring in years before will see their runners chasing a lucrative return on the day which, in some cases, in itself, would have made their journey worthwhile.

While the guaranteed Millions hype, with its main theme and sub-plots, will dominate the first half of January the second half of the month will allow the Sunshine Coast Turf Club its chance to shine in the summer sun with the club being given a welcome new opportunity to promote its product via a re-energised and revamped racing program.

In January this year the Sunshine Coast hosted five meetings (four Sundays and a Friday). In January 2015 the Sunshine Coast will again hold five meetings, but with a significant difference.

Incorporated in the five meetings coming up in January are two Metropolitan status meetings, including a stand-alone Saturday fixture. That race-day, on January 17 … just a week after the Magic Millions … will feature a new race, the Racing Minister’s 2YO Classic, with every race on the scheduled eight race card carrying a minimum stake of $65 000.

At the corresponding weekend meeting this year, the total basic stakes paid on the day (QTIS bonuses apart) amounted to $87 000. In January that figure rises to $640 000.

Now that is progress!

As is the fact the Sunshine Coast will also be a prime player on the Monday of the Australia Day long weekend, its second Metropolitan status meeting in ten days, where the feature will be the $100 000 Listed Caloundra Chamber Of Commerce Sunshine Coast Cup.

So, just like some of those players at the Magic Millions sales and race-day, January looks set to be a big month for the Sunshine Coast Turf Club which can now boast a Summer Racing Carnival of its own with events, both on and off the track, scheduled from January 15 through to January 20.

Something to diarise.

Hopefully, the new format … the ‘coast to coast’ strategy which dominates the prime Queensland racing January timeslots … will be a winner for all.

It certainly provides a rare dual opportunity to market racing to the hordes of holiday-makers who will descend on both the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast during the height of summer season and, on that basis alone, the local industry is entitled to be bullish about the sporting fare it has to offer.

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