Racing prizemoney boost begins

Mr Hinchliffe said the extra prizemoney – announced by Racing Queensland in January and which took effect on a pro-rata basis last Thursday, February 1 – was a massive win for the Queensland racing industry.

“The Queensland racing industry will benefit enormously from this important prizemoney boost. Whether you’re racing in the city or on a regional or provincial track, this prizemoney boost is music to the ears of the industry. It means an extra $12 million will be pumped directly into the industry each year across the Thoroughbred, greyhound and harness racing codes. This comes on top of the $3.2 million prizemoney boost announced by Racing Queensland in 2017,” he said.

Mr Hinchliffe said metropolitan, provincial and regional racing would all share in the extra prizemoney. “Metropolitan premier stakes races will be increased to $70,000 per-race from the current $60,000. Provincial clubs at the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast and Ipswich will have all maiden races boosted by $1,000 to $15,000.

“Regional provincial clubs will have standard stakes boosted by $2000 per race and northern feature carnivals will be increased by a total of $527,000 to be spread across carnivals from Rockhampton to Cairns. The $12 million increase will deliver an additional $8.6 million to thoroughbred, $3 million to greyhound and $400,000 to harness racing,” he said.

In paying tribute to the great work of Racing Queensland CEO Dr Eliot Forbes and his team who made the prizemoney increases possible, the Minister said the prizemoney boost had also been brought about by the Palaszczuk Government’s four-year $70 million country racing package. “It means that for the first time ever, country racing will be treated as a community service obligation in Queensland,” he said.

EUREKA Stud's dual Group 1-winning stallion Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo/Temple Spirit) added a restricted black-type success at Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne on Saturday, February 3 when 2YO filly Kinky Boom (Spirit Of Boom/Kinka Rhode) unleashed an eye-catching turn of foot at the top of the straight to score a stylish win in the Listed (R) Inglis Premier (1200m) for 2YOs.

Trainer Tony McEvoy confirmed that Kinky Boom would now head to the $1.5 million Group1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 24. Bought by McEvoy Mitchell Racing for $40,000 at the 2017 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne out of the Phoenix Broodmare Farm draft, Kinky Boom is part-owned by her breeder Eureka Stud in whose gold, black and red colours she races.

"She's by this young stallion who is doing some tremendous things", McEvoy said of her sire Spirit Of Boom. "She came into my stable when Jenny McAlpine came and saw me at the sale in Melbourne, tugged my coat and said 'I want you to come and have a look at this filly that Scott's (Eureka Stud studmaster Scott McAlpine) brought down from Queensland'", McEvoy said.

 "She was a nice filly, presented well and she walked out nice so Scott said 'if you buy her I will keep a leg' and that's how it came about. It's just lovely with the McAlpines, I go back a long way with them with the Hayes family and it's just a really enjoyable result," he said.

KINKY Boom was Spirit Of Boom’s first runner in Victoria, which netted him another Stakes winner – his fourth from just 22 overall runners which has included nine victors.  

Kinky Boom is from the Encosta de Lago mare, Kinka Rhode, a $150,000 purchase at the 2005 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Trained by Tony Noonan, Kinka Rhode was a Sandown winner of four races before being sent to stud where she produced two foals in four years. Eventually, Kinka Rhode – a daughter of New Zealand stakes winner Centennial – was dispatched as a dry mare to the 2014 Inglis Scone Thoroughbred Sale where she was sold for just $600 to Eureka Stud.

Since foaling Kinky Boom, Kinka Rhode has produced a yearling filly by Turffontein which will be offered  under the Eureka Stud banner at the 2018 Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale on March 13 – just 17 days after the Blue Diamond – and a weanling colt by Spirit Of Boom.

Aushorse webnews reports that Victoria’s Phoenix Broodmare Farm, which sold Kinky Boom on behalf of Eureka Stud, is also a shareholder in the filly – much to the delight of principals Damien Gleeson and Deb Gifford.

“We don’t race that many horses, but she was such a lovely filly that we decided to keep 10 percent. We’ve had a long association with Eureka and actually walk on their mares to Victorian farms. So, the first time I ever laid eyes on Kinky Boom she was just three weeks old and fell in love with her,” Gleeson said.

A NEW category has been added to Godolphin's 2018 Stud and Stable Staff Awards which honour and acknowledge participants across Australia’s racing industry.

Along with the six categories available previously, the Newcomer Award will highlight outstanding stud and stable staff members who have been in the industry for a maximum of three years and will draw special attention to nominees who have shown a willingness to improve, advance their skills and display special enthusiasm and motivation.

The Newcomer Award, announced at the GSSSA 2018 launch on the Gold Coast on January 9, is one of seven awards now available to all industry staff from stablehands to work riders, to horse breakers, to office staff and participants in horse welfare.

The Awards, conducted by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Racing Australia, also offer an overall Thoroughbred Excellence prize, which has, so far, launched a young trainer’s new career, recognised the vital role of those who spend each night during the foaling season monitoring pregnant mares and acknowledged the ever-more-demanding role of the racing manager.

Since their inception, the Awards have acknowledged outstanding talent, contribution and dedication, not only among the winners, but all who have entered. Awards are offered in the categories of Dedication to Racing, Dedication to Breeding, Leadership, Horsemanship, Thoroughbred Care and Welfare, Administration and Ancillary Services and, for the first time, the Newcomer category

The winner of each of the established GSSSA categories receives $10,000 with $1000 going to the runners-up and $3000 to be shared among each winner’s work colleagues with the Thoroughbred Excellence Award carrying an additional $5000 prize. In addition, a donation is made to Award winner's stud or stable, to facilitate a celebration for their staff, in order that all those around the Award winner can enjoy and celebrate the success.

The 2018 Award winners will be chosen by a selection panel chaired by Chairman of Stewards, South Australia, Johan Petzer and comprised of individuals representing TBA, TRSA, Racing Victoria, Sky Racing Channel and Racing.com in addition to trainers Ron Quinton, Mark Newnham and Troy Corstens.

Nominations are open until midnight AEST Monday 19 February, 2018 and can be made by anyone within the racing and breeding industry.