Brisbane winter carnival: Queensland Guineas reverts back to traditional home in 2020

With some major changes to the three-year-old program, including the Queensland Guineas, the new-look Brisbane winter carnival, which will boast five races worth $1 million or more, is set in stone.

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The Queensland Guineas will return to its traditional home at the start of the Queensland carnival, kicking off 10 weeks of feature racing from April 25.

The $350,000 Guineas will be run alongside the Group 2 Victory Stakes and offers the winner ballot exemption for the $1.5 million EVA Air Q22 on Stradbroke day, June 6.

The Guineas, which has been run on Stradbroke and Oaks days in recent years, is one of a number of changes to the three-year-old program.

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Jockey James McDonald guided Kolding to Queensland Guineas success last year.

As expected, the Group 1 Queensland Derby moves forward a fortnight and will be run alongside the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup on May 23, allowing runners to go on a fortnight later to the Q22.

The Group 3 Rough Habit Plate and Group 2 Doomben Roses have been boosted to $250,000 each.

It now sets in stone the new-look carnival, which will boast five races worth $1 million or more in 2020.

Another key change is the Glenlogan Park Stakes moving from Doomben to Oaks Day at Eagle Farm, with a significantly boosted purse of $500,000 and changed to a WFA race for fillies and mares over 1600m.

The 10-week program runs right through to June 27, where it all rounds up at Caloundra’s Glasshouse, Guineas and City Cup meeting.

“The three-year-old program has been significantly enhanced with the repositioning of the Guineas and the Derby, which will both offer win-and-you’re-in opportunities to the EVA Air Q22, as will the Treasury Brisbane Queensland Oaks,” Brisbane Racing Club CEO Tony Partridge said.