Racing & Wagering Western Australia is excited to announce increases in prizemoney for three marquee events of the 2015 Ascot Summer Carnival.
The Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes, Carlton Draught-Railway Stakes and Tabtouch-Kingston Town Classic, as Western Australia’s only three Group 1 races, will for the first time all carry stakes of $1M. In addition, the Group 2 WA Guineas will be run for a record $500K.
The $1M Winterbottom Stakes, $1M Railway Stakes and $500K WA Guineas will anchor the State’s richest ever raceday – to be held at Ascot on Saturday 21 November 2015, offering total stakes for the nine race programme of $3M.
The $1M Kingston Town Classic, receiving an increase in stakes of $500K, is the State’s premier weight-for-age race in the middle distance category and will be run at Ascot two-weeks later on Saturday 5 December 2015.
RWWA CEO Richard Burt said “the increase in stakes for these three major thoroughbred races is an important part of RWWA’s wider strategy to increase the profile, attendance and commercial benefit of feature races in Western Australia”.
“This funding commitment is complimentary to RWWA’s investment in the Inter Dominion feature carnival for harness racing. The extra funds allocated to both major racing carnivals are considered outside normal Race Club and stakeholder distribution” Burt said.
RWWA Manager Thoroughbred Racing David Hunter said “the focus on increasing prizemoney for our two Group 1 weight-for-age events is intended to benefit both our local owners while also driving further participation from interstate. It is imperative that we attract the best field possible if we are to maintain the Group 1 status on these important races”.
“The increase in stakes to $500K for the WA Guineas places this race in top five richest three-year-old mile races in Australia. With the $1M Kingston Town Classic run 14 days later, this provides a very attractive programme for this group of horses. 3YO’s have an excellent record in the Kingston Town, having won three of the last eight renewals of the race” Hunter said.