New Eagle Farm program transforms Brisbane Carnival

Eagle Farm will again host three consecutive Saturday meetings during the carnival, culminating in the June 6 TAB Stradbroke Day program that will feature the $1.5 million Group 2 EVA Air Q22 (2200m) - formerly known as the O'Shea Stakes.

The highlights of the Eagle Farm programs include:

Several carnival races will be upgraded and carry ballot-free exemptions into the EVA Air Q22. These races, known as the EVA Air Q Jumps, include the $250,000 Group 3 EVA Air Lord Mayor's Cup (1800m) on May 9 and the $350,000 Group 2 EVA Air Queensland Guineas (1600m) on April 25.

"A $1.5 million weight-for-age race on Stradbroke Day is not just an exciting addition to the Queensland racing calendar, but the nation as whole," Racing Queensland CEO Brendan Parnell said.

"Across the world, the Arc de Triomphe, QEII and the Breeders' Cup provide fitting finales for their middle-distance horses and we would like to see the EVA Air Q22 fill a similar role in Australia. With a new-look program, classic winners can target the Q22, while older horses can do likewise through the Hollindale Stakes or Doomben Cup," he said.

Brisbane Racing Club CEO Tony Partridge welcomed the return of Eagle Farm to its traditional spot of three consecutive Saturdays. He said EVA Air had quickly become a valued supporter of racing in Brisbane.

"Eagle Farm has more than 150 years' history and its return to the centre of the carnival provides us with the chance to watch some of the nation's best horses compete on one of Australia's most testing tracks. The new program will transform the Brisbane Racing Carnival and we're delighted that EVA Air is playing such a strong role. The May 23 and May 30 meetings each provide races that lead into our two exciting $1.5 million target races - the TAB Stradbroke and the EVA Air Q22.

"And the return of the Brisbane Cup to 3200m enables trainers to use a June staying test as a Melbourne Cup springboard in a similar way to the path forged by overseas horses," he said.

POPULAR galloper The Candy Man will target Queensland's newest feature race after the launch of the EVA Air Q22.

Staged at Eagle Farm on TAB Stradbroke Day, the Group 2 weight-for-age race worth $1.5 million will be run over 2200m and has already attracted nation-wide attention.

Racing Queensland website reports The Candy Man's trainer, Barry Baldwin, attended the launch where he outlined his plans for the popular grey which includes Magic Millions day, the Group 1 Doncaster in Sydney and ultimately the Q22 at the top of the list.

The Candy Man (G6 Casino Prince/Melody(NZ) broke the Eagle Farm 1800m renovated track record on December 14 when he won an Open Quality Handicap by 2.3 lengths in 1:48.49.

Melbourne trainer Danny O'Brien has confirmed that the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner, Vow And Declare will be aimed at the inaugural EVA Air Q22 as part of the preparation to defend his Cup crown. "A $1.5 million race at 2200m race is perfect for him," he said.

THERE'S much to admire about the winning efforts of Japanese-bred horses on the international Group 1 stage in recent years - for example Admire Moon won the Dubai Duty Free Stakes in 2007, the ill-fated Admire Ratki won Australia's Caulfield Cup in 2014 only to be put down in the aftermath of the Melbourne Cup several days later, then early last month Admire Mars won the Hong Kong Mile. All raced in the colours of prominent Japanese owner Riichi Kondo who died just a few weeks before the Hong Kong victory.

But that's just the tip of the Japanese racing iceberg. There were four Group 1 races held in Hong Kong on Sunday, December 8 and Japanese horses won three of them - Win Bright (2000m Hong Kong Cup), Glory Vase (2400m Hong Kong Vase) and Admire Mars (1600m Hong Kong Mile). In all, the Hong Kong Morning Post reports seven of the nine Japanese horses competing in Hong Kong took home $HK49.4 million of the $HK93 million on offer.

The Hong Kong treble forms part of even more amazing accomplishments though 2019 with seven Japanese horses winning eight Group 1 races on overseas soil. The previous best was five in 2016. The run started when Almond Eye won the Dubai Turf followed by Deirdre winning the Nassau Stakes in Britain. Australia provided two with Mer De Glace (Caulfield Cup) and Lys Gracieux (Cox Plate) while Win Bright (QEII Cup and Hong Kong Cup), Glory Vase and Admire Mars won Group 1 races in Honk Kong.

I'm very grateful to regular coffee companion and former Queensland Turf Club director Lex Heinemann who attended the Hong Kong races as a member of the popular Ambassador Travel racing tours and probably had to pay excess baggage bringing back a plethora of race books and Hong Kong Morning Post race previews and reviews for me to study.

WHAT happens when you mate a 3200m Melbourne Cup place-getter with a Birdsville 1000m 3YO maiden winner?

Racing enthusiasts Linda and Graham Huddy bred and race the resultant foal - a now 4YO gelding Advance Warning who is by Lucas Cranach from the Commands mare Because I Am whose sole win was a 3YO maiden at Birdsville when trained for the Huddys by Mt Isa-based Denise Ballard.

Was there any advance warning of Advance Warning's staying potential as a foal? Linda Huddy says: "No! I just liked the name. Genetics can get very crazy mating stayers to sprinters but we're happy with the result."

The result has been Advance Warning winning three of his past five starts for Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan including a win in a 2200m Benchmark 80 handicap at Caloundra on November 16. In fact Caloundra was a metropolitan meeting as was his previous win at Eagle Farm on October 12.

Lightly raced with only 13 starts as a 3 and 4YO, Advance Warning's four wins have been at 1700m, 2050m and 2200m which indicates he has inherited stamina from his dual Group 1 winning German-bred sire Lucas Cranach who ran third in the 2011 Melbourne Cup. The Huddys bought into the racing syndicate that imported the horse from Germany and have constantly supported him as shareholders over his six years at stud in Victoria.

Racing and Sports sire statistics show trainer Tony Gollan has had great success with his progeny with three individual winners of 11 races including Get Stuck In (six wins), Advance Warning (four wins) and Lucadeal - all owned by the Huddys who also have Scramjet (two wins) with Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

RACING Minister Stirling Hinchliffe has announced the opening of the second round of funding for the Country Racing Program.

Funded as part of the Palaszczuk government's four-year, $70.4 million Country Racing Support Package, the CRP provides $2.6 million a year for non-TAB Thoroughbred clubs to help with repairs and maintenance, along with asset replenishment and replacement.

The second round of CRP applications opened on November 29 and will run through until January 31 via the online application process on RQ's RaceCube. Clubs must submit one application per separate project, but may apply for multiple projects. Ineligible items include but are not limited to: the repayment of debt and loans, sponsorship, prize money and the purchase of equipment and/or services that benefit an individual.

Earlier this year, Racing Queensland approved 86 priority projects during the opening round of CRP funding across 54 clubs. RQ received more than 250 submissions - worth an estimated $11.3 million - with the organisation's steering committee prioritising core racing infrastructure and health and safety applications in the first instance.

Key projects funded via the opening round of CRP included:

"Country racing plays an integral role in many communities across Queensland and the CRP ensures our non-Tab clubs can access funding for much-needed repairs and maintenance, along with asset replenishment," Mr Hinchliffe said.

"These clubs are often the heartbeat of their communities - providing an important social destination on race days and throughout the week - which extends well beyond racing to include health, education and employment benefits. With the Queensland racing industry responsible for providing $1.5 billion in value added contribution to the state's economy - 43 percent of which is realised in regional economies - the Palaszczuk government continues to support those in regional, rural and remote communities," he said.