Racing NSW get green light to upgrade Sydney spring features including The Invitation and Big Dance
As the industry awaits the promotion of The Everest to Group 1 status, black type has been awarded to several of the Sydney spring carnival’s newest races.
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Sydney’s cashed up Spring Carnival has been enhanced by the promotion to black type status for several feature races, including The Invitation and Big Dance.
It comes as an announcement looms for The Everest and All Star Mile to be awarded Group 1 status, as revealed by Racenet last month.
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Two relatively new editions to the racing calendar have been awarded Group 2 status.
The Invitation (1400m) will get black type in its fourth year on October 26 while Newcastle will stage its first home Group 2 with The Hunter (1300m) given enhanced status for its sixth edition on November 16.
The Hunter day will also see the Listed The Beauford (2300m).
Five races will newly minted Group 3s with the Silver Eagle (Oct 19), ATC St Leger (Oct 19), Rosehill Gold Cup (Oct 2) and The Gong at Kembla Grange on November 23 while the Reginald Allen Quality (1400m) has been promoted from Listed grade.
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The third edition of the $3 million Big Dance will be run at Listed level on November 5 at Royal Randwick.
“These races met the guidelines and met the benchmarks to be upgraded, they deserve their recognition,” Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys said.
The first of the upgrade races will take place this weekend when the Listed $500,000 Tapp-Craig (1400m) is staged alongside the $2 million Hill Stakes (1900m) and $1.5 million Alan Brown Stakes (1400m).
NSW’S UPGRADED SPRING SCHEDULE
ROSEHILL GARDENS: OCTOBER 12
Tapp-Craig — Listed, 1400m
ROYAL RANDWICK: OCTOBER 19
Silver Eagle — Group 3, 1300m
ATC St Leger — Group 3, 2600m
Reginald Allen Quality — Group 3, 1400m (upgraded from Listed)
ROYAL RANDWICK: OCTOBER 26
The Invitation — Group 2, 1400m
Five Diamonds Prelude — Listed, 1500m
ROSEHILL GARDENS: NOVEMBER 2
Rosehill Gold Cup — Group 3, 2000m
ROYAL RANDWICK: NOVEMBER 5
The Big Dance — Listed, 1600m
ROSEHILL GARDENS: NOVEMBER 9
Five Diamonds — Listed, 1800m
NEWCASTLE: NOVEMBER 16
The Hunter — Group 2, 1300m
The Beauford — Listed, 2300m
KEMBLA GRANGE: NOVEMBER 23
The Gong — Group 3, 1600m
Originally published as Racing NSW get green light to upgrade Sydney spring features including The Invitation and Big Dance
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