THE lure of $30,000 prizemoney for the Wagga Pacers Cup is expected to attract one of the strongest fields in the race’s history early next month.
Prizemoney for the Cup has doubled from $15,000 last year and also now carries Group 3 status on Saturday night, March 4.
The race is expected to attract interest from metropolitan trainers who are regulars on the Carnival Of Cups circuit.
The money for the support races is also enticing with $10,000 for the Derby, $9000 for the Oaks and the Two-Year-Old Rising Stars worth $8000.
Total prizemoney is $80,000 which will help ensure quality fields.
Many of the main local chances will have the chance to qualify for the Cup in the Prelude worth $8000 on Tuesday night, February 21.
The first two horses to finish will be exempt from the ballot for the feature race
Outside of the racing, there will be Fashions On The Field which has been sponsored by Myer for the second consecutive year.
There will be prizes for the best dressed lady, best dressed gentleman and child under 16.
One lucky oncourse patron will also go in the draw to win a Toyota Yaris, while the TAB has donated $500 in betting vouchers.
CARNIVAL OF CUPS BONUSES
Wagga’s Carnival Of Cups will be the next meeting where owners and trainers can accumulate valuable points for a rich bonus.
There is $20,000 in Cups bonus with $10,000 for the owner and $5000 for the trainer with the leading point scorer.
There is a separate $5000 Owner’s Bonus for every horse which competes at least twice in the selected Cups.
To win, the owner must sign the on course checklist at a minimum of two Carnival Of Cups.
To be eligible for the main bonus, a horse must contest at least four of the eight group races during the Carnival Of Cups.
Already, two races in the series have been contested - the Shirley Turnbull Memorial at Bathurst and the Goulburn Cup.
Other races in the series are the Young Cup, Penrith Renshaw Cup, Bankstown Schweppes Cup, Newcastle Ross Gigg Mile and the Bulli Cup at Menangle.
TWICE AS GOOD
There will be harness and greyhound racing at Wagga in late March for possibly one of the last occasions at the Showgrounds.
Harness racing will be conducted in the afternoon on March 31 and just over one hour later the greyhounds will race.
With work on the new track at Wagga to commence shortly, there will be limited opportunities in the next 12 months for both codes to race at the same venue.
Previously, both codes held a joint meeting on Easter Sunday with races held intermittently.
The new laws governing greyhound racing, which don’t allow for extended kennelling times, means both codes can’t race at the same time.
Wagga will still hold a harness racing meeting on Easter Sunday, April 16, which its plans to expand over the next few years.
CHARIOTS BOUND
More often than not, The Daily Advertiser sports reporter Courtney Rees is writing about harness racing - her number one sporting passion.
Now she finds herself on the other side of the fence as the part-owner of top four-year-old Dashofluck.
The well performed pacer won the Group 2 $50,000 Paleface Adios at Menangle last Saturday night and has earned a shot at the $200,000 Chariots Of Fire on February 11.
It’s the biggest win for the Johnny Star Racing syndicate which also finished second at Menangle with Gotta Bewitched.
Dashofluck has built an imposing record of seven wins from 13 starts and will take on the best four-year-olds in Australia in the Chariots Of Fire.
PRINCESS SERIES
The dates for the Princess Series for two and three-year-old fillies have been announced with Wagga the first to run on Friday, March 31.
Wagga will stage a two-year-old race with the conducting club contributing $1000 and Harness Breeders NSW $500.
Wagga will also conduct a three-year-old fillies race on Sunday April 16.
The other clubs involved in the Princess Series are Young, Bathurst, Penrith, Newcastle, Goulburn and Bankstown.
LOCAL FLAVOUR
Local owners and trainers haven’t been forgotten with Wagga to conduct one race at every second meeting for pacers trained within 200m kilometres of the city.
The first race will be held for CO class horses on March 17 with one of the conditions being the horse must be with the trainer for 28 days prior to the race.
The grade of the local race will step up a class at every second meeting.
KEY DATES
February 21: Wagga Cup Prelude
March 4: Wagga Carnival Of Cups
March 24: Memorial Race Night
April 16: Easter Sunday.
