$5K BOOST TO EVERY RACE
Gold Coast wins $5000-a-race prizemoney increase to help stop the horse drain to NSW
RACES at the Gold Coast on Saturday will be worth $5000 more thanks to the $18 million prizemoney windfall from last week’s strike action.
Stakes for all races at Bundall will be $21,000 as the Queensland industry fights to stop NSW clubs luring horses to run south of the border.
Racing Queensland yesterday announced the Gold Coast would share $6.9 million allocated to three provincial clubs.
While welcoming the news, racing bosses and trainers said it did not go far enough.
THE Gold Coast racing industry has been given a much-needed prizemoney boost but officials say they need more to fight off a drain of horses to NSW meetings.
Prizemoney for each race will rise by $5000 to $21,000 from Saturday’s meeting at Aquis Park in what turf club chairman Brett Cook says is a massive step in the right direction.
GOLD Coast racing identities have welcomed an increase in prizemoney at Aquis Park but believe it needs to go further.
The Gold Coast and fellow provincial clubs Ipswich and Sunshine Coast have received a $6.9 million boost from the State Government in the wake of the industry’s strike action last weekend.
Racing in southeast Queensland has been hit hard as TAB meetings in the NSW Northern Rivers area lured Gold Coast horses south with higher prizemoney.
Gold Coast Turf Club chairman Brett Cook said the increase announced yesterday – part of a planned $26 million injection overall – was a massive step in the right direction but more needed to be done.
“I still think with us being so close to the border, when the second lot of funding comes through in six to eight months some consideration needs to be given to us,” he said.
“Other clubs don’t face the same challenges. It will no doubt help us stop the flow of local horses going to NSW.
“What we have to be ready for is when Racing NSW raise their money again, which won’t be far off.
“Considering the amount of money that was on offer across the whole state, it was exactly what I expected. You won’t find anyone unhappy.”
The Gold Coast’s leading trainer Toby Edmonds praised those involved in working out the prizemoney allocation.
“They have done a great job with the negotiation,” he said.
“There was no money last Friday and now there’s $26 million.
“It’s a start, it’s not the end of it. We’re certainly in a better position than we were last Friday.”
Edmonds said he liked the concept of spreading prizemoney from sixth to 10th.
“It will certainly help (stop the flow to NSW),” he said.
“It won’t stop everyone going down there right away but certainly now that the Coast’s prizemoney will go up it’s more economical than going over the border.”
Fellow trainer Bryan Guy also liked the distribution of prizemoney to 10th place.
“They have shared it around quite well,” he said.
“If they had have gone and just pumped prizemoney into winners I don’t think that would have helped.
“That’s getting up to what Sydney and Melbourne have and it’s the first time we have had it here.
“It’s a start and I think it’s a step in the right direction.
“It’s going the right way. The future looks a whole lot better than it did.”