Victoria Leads The Way – AGRA Group Racing Calendar For 2014/2015 Released
The Group racing calendar for 2014/2015 has been released and as usual, Victoria leads the way for initiative and prizemoney increases.
Two feature events in Victoria carry big increases. The Melbourne Cup is now worth $420,000 to the winner. This is an increase from $350,000. In a one-off trial by Sandown Park, the final will be held on a Friday.
The Group Two Launching Pad has seen a huge increase in prizemoney from $40,000 to $140,000. The series will see 64 nominations sold for a price of $2000 each. These nominations will be transferable to just before the close of nominations. Nominations will be open to greyhounds with 1-6 wins and no more than 30 starts.
Many of Victoria's Group Two Cup races have increased in prizemoney from $43,750 to $45,000 (Bendigo, Healesville, Geelong, Cranbourne, Warragul, Warrnambool, Horsham, Traralgon and Shepparton). The exception is the Ballarat Cup which has increased to $60,000 from $43,750. A number of Cup races have also been moved. Bendigo will now be run in June when it was typically run in April. Healesville will now be in September. It was in February this year. Horsham has been moved from March to May and Shepparton goes from September to February.
The Great Chase at The Meadows has also increased to $45,000.
The Harrison-Dawson at Sandown Park has been elevated from a Group Two to a Group One with the same $100,000 prize that it carried this year and the Macro Meats Shootout has been elevated from Group Three to Group Two (still worth $50,000 to the winner).
The Cranbourne Puppy Classic also makes an appearance on the Group calendar as a Group Three event with a $25,000 purse.
Other changes for Victoria include the increase in prizemoney for the listed Easter Gift at Sandown (from $15,000 to $25,000), the move of the Group Three Sir John Dillon Memorial from November to December and the renaming of the Group Three Bert Bryant Memorial over 595 metres to The Racecallers.
In New South Wales there are two Group races that have increased in prizemoney. The Bulli Gold Cup has been elevated from a Group Three to a Group Two and increases in value from $25,000 to $40,000. The Group Three Richmond Oaks moves from $20,000 to $30,000. The Group Two Maitland Cup will be run two weeks later than it was this year (from March to April).
The Group One National Derby and National Futurity will also both return home to Wentworth Park after a few years of being hosted at The Gardens. It's a move sure to please traditionalists. The race seemed to lack some punch after its move to The Gardens.
Based on the calendar, there doesn't appear to be any increase in prizemoney for Group and Listed races in Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland or the Northern Territory.
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AGRA Group Racing Calendar Comparison |
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|
Group Race |
2013/2014 |
2014/2015 |
Change |
Increase |
|
Group One Melbourne Cup |
$350,000 |
$420,000 |
$70,000 |
20% |
|
Group Two Launching Pad |
$40,000 |
$140,000 |
$100,000 |
250% |
|
Group Two Ballarat Cup |
$43,750 |
$60,000 |
$16,250 |
37% |
|
Group Two Bendigo Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Healesville Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Geelong Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Cranbourne Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Warragul Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Warrnambool Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Horsham Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Traralgon Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Shepparton Cup |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Great Chase |
$43,750 |
$45,000 |
$1,250 |
2.9% |
|
Group Two Bulli Gold Cup |
$25,000 |
$40,000 |
$15,000 |
60% |
|
Group Three Richmond Oaks |
$20,000 |
$30,000 |
$10,000 |
50% |
Download The 2014/2015 Australian Group Greyhound Racing Calendar
2014/15 Group Greyhound Racing Calendar