Gold Coast Magic Millions night race dates announced plus $20m horse racing weekend revealed
The Gold Coast will host horse racing under lights at night with millions extra in prize money on the line in a new deal to supercharge the already lofty Magic Millions. FIND OUT WHY
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THE Gold Coast will host the country’s most lucrative horse racing meet under lights by 2025 thanks to megabucks plans to supercharge the Magic Millions.
Two feature night race meets under lights and prizemoney boosted by millions are key features of the blueprint for expanding the Magic Millions.
Announced on Sunday are:
- A new race meeting under lights for the first time at the Gold Coast Turf Club in May 2024. Headlined by a $1 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic over 1000 metres. It coincides with the Gold Coast National Weanling, Broodmare and Yearling Sale;
- By 2025, January’s Magic Millions summer carnival will add a Friday night program to the existing main Saturday race day. The night event will have a $5.25 million, six-race program on January 10 with a new $3 million race for three-year-old sprinters over 1100 metres. It will be Australia’s most lucrative night meeting;
- In 2024 the two $2 million main Magic Millions Saturday races - the Two-Year-Old Classic and Three-Year-Old Guineas - will each jump by $1 million to run for $3 million apiece.
A second division of the popular Magic Millions Maiden of $250,000 over 1400m will also be
introduced to the main summer carnival in 2024.
All up, total prize money for The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Raceday soars to $14.25 million in 2024 and $14.75 million in 2025. It is up from $11.75 million in 2023, maintaining its standing as the Southern Hemisphere’s only race day to stage eight separate million-dollar plus races on one card.
Queensland Racing Minister Grace Grace said the Magic Millions supported jobs and enhanced the “great” Queensland lifestyle: “The 2023 Magic Millions will be the best yet, and it will get better and better in 2024 and 2025.
Ms Grace, whose government via Tourism and Events Queensland locked in a multimillion contract with Magic Millions through to 2028, said its economic contribution per year was $42 million, with 19,000 unique visitors from interstate and overseas.
More than 84,000 bed nights are booked.
Ms Grace said the new night racing plans were made possible by the $63 million turf club upgrade which also included broadcast quality lighting.
The new Friday night feature meeting in 2025 just before the Magic Saturday will create two days of racing - with $20 million across the entire Friday and Saturday.
Racing Queensland chairman Steve Wilson AM said the Magic Millions captured the imagination of global fans: “We are unwavering in our commitment to maintain its standing amongst the nation’s premier racing events.”
The turf club had solidified its position as one of the state’s most important training and racing facilities thanks to the $63 million upgrade underway, he said.
“The incentive to buy, breed and back in the Sunshine State has never been better, and these
innovations are a testament to the strength of the Queensland racing industry.”
Magic Millions co-owner Katie Page said: “Thoroughbred industry sustainability is strengthened by delivering wide-reaching prizemoney opportunities to all racing participants.
“Whether you are a syndicate member, a first-time owner, live in the country or the city, everyone should be able to qualify for prize money returns from Magic Millions races.”
Gold Coast Turf Club chairman Brett Cook said the extra prize money and Magic Millions night racing events were exciting and will prove to be a big draw card. He added the first night racing hosted by the Turf Club would be in December 2023 or January 2024.
At this coming Saturday’s Magic Millions race day, two new races are also being run.
The Syndicate – for horses owned by a minimum of 20 individual registered owners and/or
syndicate members, including micro-syndication – will be run for $1 million for horses aged three-years-old and up. It creates the world’s largest ownership experience in the process.
Meanwhile, The Debut will be run for $500,000, restricted to 2YO first starters, and will become the richest two-year-old maiden in the world.
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