Queensland summer reshuffle sees Magic Millions lead up axed and Stradbroke Handicap pointer improved

Queensland’s summer carnival will be streamlined in order to improve field sizes in the key Magic Millions lead ups, while The Gateway, which acts as a Stradbroke Handicap pointer in the winter has been opened up to include three-year-olds.

Barbie's Sister won the Listed Calaway Gal last year. Picture: Natasha Wood — Trackside Photography.

Queensland’s summer carnival will undergo even more change, in a shake-up that will see a traditional Magic Millions lead up streamlined and a key Stradbroke Handicap pointer opened up.

Racing officials have made the move to axe the Listed Calaway Gal from summer, which is restricted to two-year-old fillies, and move it to the winter, while opting to open up the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes to both colts and fillies on the same day in order to improve the field size.

It comes after the Phelan Ready had just four runners last year, while the Calaway Gal had nine.

READ| Mishani owner cleans up: ‘More she drifted, more I had on'

It will be run three weeks prior to the Group 3 BJ McLachlan Stakes, which has produced the last two Magic Millions 2YO Classic winners in Coolangatta and Storm Boy.

The Gateway, which is a ‘win and you’re in’ race for the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap in the winter, has also been opened up to three-year-olds, after previously being restricted to only four-year-olds in the past.

Additional changes to the three-year-old program include changing the Group 3 Grand Prix to 1800m from 2200m on December 14, three weeks prior to the $500,000 The Wave over the same distance.

BEAU DAZZLER is SW4 from 22 rnrs for Ardrossan in the Phelan Ready Stakes

5th dam Gr2 Grimpola@MS_SearsRacing@ZRKD@eaglefarmracing@karakachat@PMBRacing@WaikatoStud@NZTM_TWEETpic.twitter.com/Pv7mjwUH1E

— Pedigree Update (@pedigreeupdate) December 9, 2023

Since moving the Grand Prix from the winter program in 2020, it has produced the likes of Gypsy Goddess, Kovalica and Kukeracha.

It comes as the Brisbane Racing Club are keen to continue to explore the possibility of hosting a second midweek metropolitan meeting on a Friday during holiday periods following the success of last Friday.

With Saturday metropolitan racing on the Gold Coast and Toowoomba on back-to-back weekends, the move was made for Eagle Farm to host additional meetings.

While Toowoomba will host their traditional Weetwood meeting on Saturday, a secondary meeting will be held at Eagle Farm, where the BRC have declared they will throw open the gates with free entry.

With the Brisbane Lions in the AFL Grand Final on the day, the game will be shown throughout the track and on the big screen in between races.

Originally published as Queensland summer reshuffle sees Magic Millions lead up axed and Stradbroke Handicap pointer improved