Amanda Elliott wants penalties for those who create ‘pop up’ races to the detriment of major carnivals

Victoria Racing Club chair Amanda Elliott has used television in England to up the ante in her fight against rival states which seek to undermine Melbourne Cup Week and disrupt established racing patterns.

Victoria Racing Club chair Amanda Elliot has put her fight against “pop up races” on the international agenda and called for penalties for those looking to disrupt established racing patterns.

Elliot maintained her rage in the wake of moves from Racing NSW, which recently unveiled a revamped $45 million spring program with a new $7.5 Golden Eagle race to run on Derby Day.

Racing NSW has also scheduled the $14 million The Everest for Caulfield Cup Day with the program clash designed to divert the best horses away from Melbourne.

In England for the Royal week at Ascot, Elliott declared there should be penalties for racing jurisdictions which throw money at “novelty races” to rival major carnivals.

“I don’t have any problem with putting up money for these pop-up or novelty races that don’t have any black type status. What I have a problem with is when they impact Group 1 racing,” Elliott told Racing TV’s Luck on Sunday program.

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Victoria Racing Club chair Amanda Elliott with the 2019 Melbourne Cup trophy.

“The pattern of racing worldwide is so important not just to the people who race horses but to the breeding industry, and to everyone.

“You cannot split horse populations within one jurisdiction and impact events like Cup Week, which has always had a responsibility to the brand of racing in Australia worldwide.

“You cannot devalue the black type tracing on these wonderful days by some novelty race on the same day worth a heap of money which connections then have to make the choice. I am vehemently against that.”

Elliott has raged against Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys and labelled him a “silly little man” this month.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V’landys announces the new $7.5 Golden Eagle race to be run at Royal Randwick on the same day at the VRC Derby.

Without specifically attacking her northern rivals this time, she said racing needed greater oversight.

“The jurisdictions that are putting on these pop-up races should perhaps have some kind of penalty. Or if it’s put (on) at a time which creates division, maybe they could face losing one of their Group races,” she said.

“There should be some penalties applied because it is damaging.

“I would hate to see the glorious sport of racing reduced to a conversation about prizemoney or any racing jurisdictions’ success being measured on the amount of their prizemoney.”

Kerrin McEvoy and Cross Counter combine to win the 2018 Melbourne Cup.