News

G1 race begins tomorrow

8th Feb 2013

Racing Victoria - Media Release - Friday, 8 February 2013

Racing Victoria (RV) today welcomed the start of racing’s newest event, the lucrative G1 Championship, at the stables of emerging star Callanish who begins his G1 assault in tomorrow’s opening leg, the Group 1 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

A feature of the Melbourne Festival of Racing, which runs from tomorrow until 22 March, the G1 Championship showcases the sport’s premier sprinters and middle distance performers in six classic races across four epic Festival meetings.

There are two G1 Championships – one for sprinters and one for middle distance horses – each comprising three legs. The pot of gold for any horse that can complete a clean sweep is a $1 million bonus, courtesy of RV and TAB, to be split 70% to the owner, 20% to the trainer and 10% to the jockey.

Points will be allocated to the first five placegetters across each G1 Championship race on a 12-6-4-2-1 basis. Should the TAB $1 million bonuses not be won, the highest points scorer in each series will be awarded a $50,000 international travel subsidy to showcase their talents abroad during 2013.

The races contained within the inaugural G1 Championship are;

G1 SPRINTERS CHAMPIONSHIP
LEG 1 - $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) – Flemington, 16 February 2013
LEG 2 - $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) – Caulfield, 23 February 2013
FINAL - $1 million Lexus Newmarket Handicap (1200m) – Flemington, 9 March 2013

G1 MIDDLE DISTANCE CHAMPIONSHIP
LEG 1 - $400,000 Sportingbet C.F.Orr Stakes (1400m) – Caulfield, 9 February 2013
LEG 2 - $220,000 Carlton Draught Peter Young Stakes (1800m) – Caulfield, 23 February 2013
FINAL - $1 million Darley Australian Cup (2000m) – Flemington, 9 March 2013

For the Mick Price-trained Callanish, unbeaten in eight starts, and his unheralded jockey Dale Smith, the G1 Middle Distance Championship presents a career defining moment with Black Caviar’s Group 1-winning half-brother, All Too Hard, amongst the rivals they must conquer in tomorrow’s opening leg.

“Callanish, Mick Price and Dale Smith represent the G1 Championship dream, that being the opportunity to experience a life changing moment and secure a unique place in racing history with a clean sweep of three coveted races,” RV Chief Executive, Bernard Saundry, said.

“The G1 Championship is about celebrating our stars and creating new heroes, whilst developing a focal point for fans outside the Spring Racing Carnival. If you only get trackside during Spring, we’re saying come along and enjoy all the G1 excitement in what is a relaxed and social atmosphere.

“It’s with great anticipation that we have today launched the G1 Championship, a series in which we’ll welcome back to the track racing’s biggest star, the unbeaten Black Caviar, and, in the case of horses like Callanish, provide the opportunity to create a new one.”

The G1 treble has been previously completed by the sprinters Schillaci (1992) and Placid Ark (1987) and the middle-distance stars Lonhro (2004), Let’s Elope (1992), Vo Rogue (1989) and Leilani (1975).

Adding to the flavour of each G1 meeting is the G1 Pavilion, a stylish, yet affordable social hub that has already sold out for Black Caviar Lightning Day, Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Stakes Day and Super Saturday, but for which tickets remain for tomorrow’s Family Festival Day at Caulfield.

Those heading to the Lightning, Blue Diamond or Super Staurday can still access a range of great hospitality packages, or make use of the large G1 Championship umbrellas that will dot the public lawns.

For further information on the G1 Championship visit www.melbournefestivalofracing.com.au