Winter Racing Carnival to have Super Six Trainers’ Challenge

The UBET Super Six Trainers’ Challenge – a joint initiative between Racing Queensland, UBET, the Brisbane Racing Club and Tattersall’s Racing Club – will run over six weeks during the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival from May 14 to June 25 at feature race meetings at Doomben and the redeveloped Eagle Farm Racecourse. The objective of the concept is to drive interest and wagering on the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival which should translate into better returns for the industry as a whole.

The Challenge is designed to provide an incentive for Queensland and interstate trainers to target the entire black-type program on offer over the ‘Super Six’ days – not just the Group 1 features. Each of the 41 Black Type events during that period will count for points  with trainers of the horses finishing in the placings accruing points across the six days. In a fitting finale, the five black-type races contested on the final day of the series – Tattersall’s Tiara Day – will count for double points before an overall winner is crowned.

The winning trainer will have the enviable choice of a $140,000 BMW X6 courtesy of Brisbane BMW or an exclusive VIP trip to the Kentucky Derby for the trainer and six owners, while a daily winner will secure a $10,000 QTIS Cash voucher to be used on the purchase of any QTIS registered yearling offered for auction at any sale in Australia.

BRISBANE Racing Club Chairman Neville Bell believes the UBET Super Six Trainers’ Challenge swill help take the Winter Racing Carnival to even “loftier heights”.

“The Challenge for the six major race meetings at Doomben and Eagle Farm should ensure a significant level of media interest as the points are tallied at the end of each raceday. We believe it will heighten public knowledge of just how many high profile trainers, both local and interstate and New Zealand, participate in our winter carnival.

“I’m sure every trainer will be looking to win one of the days. The $10,000 QTIS Cash bonus is an interesting initiative for the daily winner and there are bragging rights for the next week as well. Either the BMW car or the Kentucky Derby trip for seven people is a massive incentive. We hope this concentrates the trainers to target all the black type races and not just the Group 1s. If that happens it can only make the carnival reach even loftier heights,’’ he said.

UBET Super Six Trainers Race Days

DAY 1: Doomben May 14 – BTC Cup (G1) + 4 Black Type events

DAY 2: Doomben May – 21 Doomben Cup (G1) + 6 Black Type events

DAY 3: Doomben May – 28 Doomben 10,000 (G1) + 6 Black Type events

DAY 4: Eagle Farm June 4 – Queensland Oaks (G1) + 7 Black Type events

DAY 5: Eagle Farm June 11 – Stradbroke Hcp (G1), QLD Derby (G1), J.J.Atkins (G1) + 6 Black Type events

DAY 6: Eagle Farm June 25 – Tattersall’s Tiara (G1) + 4 Black Type events

THE former Queensland-bred multiple Group 1 winner Boban has died after a paddock accident on Sunday, April 3.

Trained by Chris Waller, the 6YO Bernardini gelding from the Kenmare mare Kenbelle was retired in February after suffering a second bleeding attack when racing in the Group 1 Futurity Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield. His strapper Lucy Attard had being looking after the 11 times winning gelding since his retirement.

Bred by Tony and Ruth Thomas, Greendale Stud, Southbrook, Boban, raced 37 times for 11 wins and three places earning his connections $2.8 million in prize money. He won five Group 1 races with his last the 2015 Memsie Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield.

BRAGGING rights for this year’s Capricornia Yearling Sale Classic held at Rockhampton’s Callaghan Park on Saturday, April 9 have gone to 2YO filly Bagus.

Brisbane trainer Kelly Schweida paid $15,000 for the filly offered by Oaskwood Farm, Haigslea (as agent) at last year’s sale and she has repaid the trust by earning $178,500 from three wins and a second from her four starts – the wins coming at Ipswich, Doomben and Rockhampton.

The filly is by the Flying Spur sire Jet Spur from the winning Commands mare Jezzamine who is a full sister to the Group 3 winner Imprisoned. This also gives the filly a double cross of Danehill as Flying Spur and Commands are both sons of the prepotent sire.