Eagle to stretch its wings

Soft start for racetrack

THE Brisbane Racing Club is planning a “soft opening” for Eagle Farm at a midweek meeting next year, ahead of the renovated track being reintroduced into the carnival schedule.

Racing Queensland yesterday released dates for a newlook winter carnival, where five days of Group 1 racing are scheduled in Brisbane, as opposed to the four which it reverted to this year.

Eagle Farm’s first feature meeting is on June 4 for Oaks Day but BRC chairman Neville Bell said there were plans to test the venue before then.

“With it being out of action for so long, it’s important to test everything under race-day conditions and we intend to host a midweek meeting there on May 11 for what will be a soft opening for the new track,” Bell said.

Either side of the five consecutive weeks of Group 1 racing, southeast Queensland’s provincial clubs will host their features.

Toowoomba’s Weetwood Handicap kicks off the winter carnival on April 16, followed by four Listed races being held at the Sunshine Coast a week later.

Doomben hosts the Group 2 Victory Stakes on April 30, before the Gold Coast’s Hollindale Stakes meeting on May 7.

The BTC Cup will be the first Group 1 on May 14, followed by the Doomben Cup (May 21), Doomben 10,000 (May 28), Queensland Oaks and Stradbroke (June 11).

Ipswich follows a week later as usual and the Tatt’s Tiara returns to Eagle Farm next year on June 25.

The Caloundra Cup, Glasshouse and Sunshine Coast Guineas bring down the carnival curtain on July 2.

RQ operations manager Ross Gove said with the return to Eagle Farm, the compressed nature of this year’s carnival would not have worked next year.

“Significantly, the race program ensures that each of the carnival’s Group 1 races is spaced two weeks apart, a structure that presents the best opportunities for the sport’s elite horses,” Gove said.

Prizemoney is yet to be determined for any of the carnival races.