THE countdown to the world’s richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka, goes up another notch on the Gold Coast this weekend.
As part of the huge Sunshine Stars Yearling Sale, slots will be auctioned off for the inaugural The Hayden – from which the winner will snare Racing Queensland’s slot in the inaugural TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.
The Hayden, named after champion former test cricketer and iconic Queenslander Matthew Hayden, is restricted only to three and four-year-old QBred pacers who are trained in Queensland.
It will be run as part of the enhanced Queensland Constellations at Albion Park on July 15.
“We are unashamedly using the slot to promote the Queensland (harness racing industry),” Racing Queensland’s Senior Harness Racing Manager David Brick said. “That was a key focus of our bid to get a slot in the TAB Eureka.”
The Hayden has a purse of $100,000, but will grow well beyond that with all money raised from Sunday’s slot auctions added directly to the purse.
The slots will be auctioned at approximately 3pm, during the Sunshine Stars Yearling Sales at the Magic Millions Sales Complex adjacent to the Gold Coast racetrack.
“It just seemed the right time and place. We can bring two audiences together and hopefully add to what should already be a fantastic day at the sales,” Brick said.
With the winner of The Hayden going through to the TAB Eureka, Brick stressed 90 percent of any prize money earned in the Eureka would be returned to the slot holder to be shared between them and the owner/s of the horse selected in their slot.
“The other 10 per cent goes to RQ’s partner, Shoreline, which has provided education and employment opportunities for Indigenous students since 2009,” Brick said.
So far just two slot holders have locked-in their TAB Eureka runners: Team Zav (Danny and Jo Zavitsanos) with Captain Ravishing and Cordina Racing with Catch A Wave.
Like Racing Queensland, TasRacing is using a qualifying race restricted to locally-trained horses to decide its TAB Eureka slot runner.
Queensland’s top pacer, four-year-old Leap To Fame, is expected to run in the slot of his owners Kevin and Kay Seymour.
Other slot holders yet to partner with a runner are: John Singleton, Rob Watson’s Soho Bloodstock, Summit Bloodstock & Aaron Bain Racing, and Wayne Loader.
