Push for $30,000 events

GOLD Coast Turf Club bosses want two $30,000 races to be introduced to their weekly race meetings as they step up their campaign to be competitive with NSW clubs.

The club has written to Racing Queensland seeking the changes be funded from the state’s $8 million increase in prizemoney next year.

Each race at the Gold Coast provincial meetings now carries $21,000 in prizemoney, up from $16,000, thanks to an $18 million increase by the state body on November 1.

A further $8 million will be rolled out in May next year and Gold Coast CEO Steve Lines already has his sights set on making the club even more competitive with rivals in northern NSW.

“You have to remember we have five country tracks just over the border with similar prizemoney while we are a provincial,” Lines said.

“Provincials in NSW are worth $34,000. I have written to (Racing Queensland) to say they should put two bigger races on here on a Saturday when the next round of prizemoney comes through.

“We can rotate those two races through the classes and BenchMarks so different horses can win it.”

Gold Coast has already seen the benefits of the increased prizemoney this month, with 157 horses nominated to run at the track on Saturday.

Lines said such interest was usually restricted to major carnival days.

“Sometimes you get a big block of numbers but it’s around Gold Coast Cup, winter carnival and Magic Millions, those bigger races dates,” he said.

“It’s the best nominations we have had for at least three months.”

Lines predicted the club would enjoy a 20 per cent rise in revenue, year on year, from its meetings last Saturday, on Melbourne Cup Day and this weekend.