HRNSW has announced the introduction of two new Carnival of Cups bonuses worth $20,000. Participation is the key element with horses and owners playing an important role in securing vital points for the rich prizes on offer. There will be a $15,000 Cups Bonus (split $10,000 for the owner and $5,000 for the trainer) for the leading point scorer and a $5,000 bonus open to the owners of every horse which competes at least twice in a series of selected Cups feature events.
The selected feature races are:
- Bathurst 26th Dec – $50,000 Shirley Turnbull Memorial
- Goulburn 26th Jan- $30,000 Goulburn Cup
- Young 13th Mar – $30,000 Young Cup
- Penrith 14th Apr – $50,000 Schweppes Renshaw Cup
- Bankstown 22nd Apr – $30,000 Schweppes Cup
- Bulli at Menangle 30th Apr – $50,000 Bulli Cup
To win the $15,000 bonus horses must compete in at least four of six significant group races during the Carnival Of Cups.
A point scoring system will be used with the winner of each race receiving 12 points, with the score descending a point until last position which would be three points in a 10-horse field or one point in a 12-horse field. There will be a bonus four points given to horses in each of the six feature events if the registered owners attend the respective Cup Meeting. Attendance must be reported to the Club Secretary.
The horse point score will be published, however the additional ‘owner’s bonus points’ will be sealed with the final points table being revealed at the Bulli Gold Cup function at Tabcorp Park Menangle on April 30.
The $5,000 bonus will be won by an owner after a draw is conducted at the Bulli Gold Cup Function. The owner must be in attendance at the Bulli Gold Cup meeting to win the bonus. Owners will receive one entry in the draw for each of the selected meetings they attend (if an owner attends each of the six meetings, the owner will then have six entries in the draw).
HRNSW CEO John Dumesny believes the exciting new promotion will add more interest into the Carnival of Cups and will encourage more owners to support their horses at the meetings.
“The Carnival of Cups concept was introduced nearly a decade ago and has been vitally important for harness racing around New South Wales,” Mr Dumesny said.
“Owners are an integral part of the industry and HRNSW wants to reward those owners who support the Carnival Of Cups concept by turning up to watch their horses race.”
A number of proposals were considered in relation to the introduction of the new bonus and Mr Dumesny is pleased with the end result.
“We looked at a number of options that were put forward by the Clubs involved and HRNSW believes the strategy will be attractive to owners and trainers of open class pacers.
“Only one owner per horse can be registered, however only one owner in a partnership is required to be trackside for a particular Cup for the horse to be eligible for the bonus points.”
HRNSW will scrutinise ownership registration and horses will be disqualified from the $20,000 Carnival of Cups Bonus if it is deemed to have been manipulated.
“The longer term goal is to increase the number of Cups included in the series to eight in 2017 and ten in 2018 as individual Clubs increase the prize money value for their feature open class race.”
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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