Brisbane Release 2009 Group Racing Calendar
The Brisbane Greyhound Racing Club today announced that it will continue the tradition of the Gold Coast Cup, with the Club to stage the Group Two event in 2009.
The 2009 Gold Coast Cup will be run over 520m and be incorporated into the Brisbane Club's Sky Channel Winter Carnival as the major lead-up race to the Group One Garrard's Winter Cup.
The dates for the 2009 Sky Channel Winter Carnival are confirmed as follows:
- 28 May Heats Group 1 Cartwright Property Group Gold Cup 710m
- 4 June Final Group 1 Cartwright Property Group Gold Cup 710m
- 11 June Heats Group 2 Brandons QLD Derby 520m
- 18 June Final Group 2 Brandons QLD Derby 520m and Heats Group 3 Big Dog QLD Cup 600m
- 25 June Final Group 3 Big Dog QLD Cup 600m
- 2 July Heats Group 2 Gold Coast Cup 520m and Hawkins Media Solutions Superstayers Invitation 710m
- 9 July Final Group 2 Gold Coast Cup 520m
- 16 July Heats Group 1 Garrard's Winter Cup 520m
- 23 July Final Group 1 Garrard's Winter Cup 520m
The Brisbane Club's other Group Races, the Group 2 Bogie Leigh Futurity will be held on 12 and 19 March, with the Group 1 Sky Channel Brisbane Cup rounding out the Club's Group racing calendar on 3 and 10 December.
Brisbane Club General Manager, Luke Gatehouse welcomed the recent announcement by Greyhound Racing Victoria (GRV) that the Metropolitan Melbourne Clubs will be looking to strategically align their Group Races from 2011.
“The changes announced by GRV are a positive step in aligning the AGRA calendar for the benefit of participants, while also providing business benefit to the respective Melbourne metropolitan Clubs.
The Brisbane Club hopes that this move will provide a catalyst for further alignment of the AGRA calendar with the business needs of Clubs, and the optimum Group racing outcomes for participants.
We will be very active in seeking some adjustments to our Group race dates from 2011.
Of course it will take a great degree of co-operation from AGRA Clubs to achieve outcomes that are suitable to all stakeholders in the Group Calendar.”