With the countdown to the 2019 Birdsville Races, the race field nominations have been released.
There are a total of 208 nominations submitted across the iconic carnival's two-day, 13 race program, which is set to run next weekend on September 6 and 7.
The 'Melbourne Cup of the Outback' will attract a stellar race field for its historic meeting with nominations comprising 129 horses and 28 trainers from QLD, NSW, SA and NT - including Group 1 trainer David Jolly (Goolwa (SA), who will make his Birdsville Races debut in the headline TAB Birdsville Cup with the Terry Treichel ridden Fulton Street.
Queensland country trainer and 2018 Birdsville Cup winner Bevan Johnson leads the field with 35 race nominations and 17 horses, followed by Barcaldine trainer Todd Austin with 18 nominations, and former Birdsville Cup winner Rodney Robb, from Nyngan, NSW with 16 nominations.
Todd Austin has attended more than 30 Birdsville Races since he was a young boy, first as starry eyed spectator, then later as a jockey and Birdsville Cup-winning trainer in 2013.
Also in the mix will be 2012 and 2017 Birdsville Cup winner Craig Smith, Roma, 2011 Birdsville Cup winner Jay Morris, Mount Isa, and female trainers Denise Ballard Mount Isa, and Tanya Parry, Julia Creek.
The Birdsville Races will be a fully funded country TAB meet for the first time in 2019, offering up a record overall prize-purse of $233,500 - an increase of 14 per cent from the carnival's total prizemoney in 2018.
The TAB Birdsville Cup will award a record-equalling $40,000, while total prizemoney for the event's feature sprint - the Road Tech Marine 1200m Open Handicap - will increase to $25,000.
This year, for the first time, prizemoney will also be awarded to top-10 finishers across all the meet's 13 races.
Punters across Australia will be able to experience all action from the Birdsville Races from the comfort of their own homes, thanks to a renewed national telecast deal between the Races and Sky Racing. The partnership will see the full 13-race line-up televised into homes nationally via Sky Racing.
With a week to go until the 2019 Birdsville Races, event organisers are preparing to welcome an influx of close to 7,000 visitors for a bumper weekend program of thoroughbred horse racing, and unique Outback entertainment and activities.
The Birdsville Races are supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It's Live! in Queensland events calendar, worth $800m to the state's economy in 2019.
Acceptances for the 2019 Birdsville Races will be finalised next Tuesday, September 3. To view full nominations for this year's Birdsville Races, click on the links below:
Friday nominations, September 6:
Saturday nominations, September 7:
More info: www.birdsvilleraces.com