Racing Queensland restructure prizemoney for new zones

The schedule of prizemoney for the new zoned racing has been released, with Friday racing at the Gold Coast comparable with the purses available on Saturday in the city.

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The schedule of prizemoney for the new zoned racing has been released, with Friday racing at the Gold Coast comparable with the purses available on Saturday in the city.

As part of the split in the southeast corner, Racing Queensland has committed to offering similar prizemoney to Gold Coast and Toowoomba-trained horses as is available to the Eagle Farm and Caloundra-trained runners on a Saturday.

If racing proceeds next week, the Gold Coast Friday meeting has two races worth $65,000, two at $50,000, two at $35,000 and two at $27,500, plus QTIS bonuses on three of those races. Eagle Farm the following day will be the same, but with an additional $65,000 race programmed.

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Gold Coast races will carry prizemoney on par with purses available on Saturday in the city. Picture: AAP

Zoned racing is scheduled to begin on Tuesday at Mackay, before a Sunshine Coast meeting next Wednesday, which has prizemoney ranging from $21,000 to $30,000. The Toowoomba meeting scheduled for Sunday, April 5 had identical purses on offer.

Next Thursday, Cairns has eight races valued at $17,000 each.

Saturday’s meetings around the state will be the last of the previously programmed meetings to proceed, before the new zone-restricted schedule next week.

For horses to be eligible, they have to be in their designated zone by midnight Sunday.

Murwillumbah trainer Matt Dunn, who campaigns a big percentage of his horses in southeast Queensland, has to make the decision before Sunday on whether he will move horses across the border to make them eligible for the Gold Coast/Toowoomba programs.

He does have stables available on the Gold Coast, but the issue is around staff, as he cannot be with the Queensland-based horses but a staff member residing in the state would need to be. Dunn said on Friday he was still weighing up his options.

Trainer Matt Dunn is weighing up his options. Picture: Scott Powick

CLUBS NEED NON-RACING REVENUE

Queensland race clubs are desperately seeking support from officialdom on an alternate funding model while facilities continue to be used for racing to function.

While other licensed venues have shut their doors, race clubs are still required to finance the preparation of racetracks and “put on the show” for as long as racing is allowed to continue.

With the cancellation of lucrative winter carnival events, some clubs face an enormous challenge just to survive.

Ipswich is heavily reliant on its Cup Day and has tentatively made plans to hold a community event in its place, should racing be returned to normal by September.

The Gold Coast had turned around its financial bottom line in recent years, but nearly all revenue streams – which included a big portion of non-race day activities – have dried up, while the Brisbane Racing Club has stated the loss of the winter carnival will deliver a $3 million hit to revenue.

Brisbane Racing Club chairman Neville Bell said the club is reviewing its operational costs amid the coronavirus crisis.

There is fear some clubs may get to the point where they are unable to fund the staff and infrastructure required to run a race meeting.

BRC chairman Neville Bell revealed the club is reviewing its operational costs and tellingly said “some extremely difficult decisions” will need to be made.

Clubs are now seeking a sustainability package that guarantees financial certainty during this time, in order to maintain tracks so they can continue to deliver racing.

“Food and beverage makes up more than 50 per cent of our business. Each Saturday we have 2000 people booked in our restaurants,” Gold Coast Turf Club chief executive Steve Lines said.

Racing Queensland says TAB clubs will be eligible for a payment, but there is no detail about how it will be funded or how much will be made available.