After years of playing second fiddle to Melbourne, Sydney’s extravagant concept, The Championships, has become a fierce battleground among owners and trainers jostling for a shot at glory (read: an epic payday).
The most notable change to the Sydney autumn carnival is the increase in prize money for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes from $500,000 to $4,000,000.
The change has got every owner talking. All of a sudden, horses which had never even been in consideration for the race are scheming plots to force their way into the final field.
Run over 2000m under weight-for-age conditions at Royal Randwick, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes has seemingly become the pinnacle of Australian racing with bigger prize money than the Cox Plate and more fanfare around the race.
Although the second richest race in Australian racing behind the Melbourne Cup, the weight-for-age status of the Queen Elizabeth has opened up a whole new sector of entrants. With three-year-olds capable of making the final field and assigned a weight concession, the race truly rivals France’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
It’s held six months after the Cox Plate, when three-year-olds are significantly more developed and a much greater number of them will be entered in the race which can immortalise them.
Earlier in the week, John O’Shea announced an odd campaign for three-year-old Savvy Nature, who was the favourite in the VRC Derby but finished 14th.
For a horse like Savvy Nature, the traditional autumn campaign would encompass the three-year-old Triple Crown – Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby worth a combined $3.1 million.
But why chase $3.1 million when you can send your best three-year-old to the $3 million Doncaster Mile and $4million Queen Elizabeth Stakes? Which is exactly what O’Shea will be doing with Savvy Nature.
The three-year-old’s campaign will include racing against his age group, stepping up to open handicap class and culminating in a weight-for-age event.
The Championships has thrown all conventional wisdom out the door, but do you want to know the best thing?
The Queen Elizabeth Stakes will do something the Melbourne Cup can’t do – create a field where only the best horses will start.
Horses headed for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes will comes through three main races – the BMW (2400m, weight-for-age), Doncaster Mile (1600m, handicap) and Rosehill Guineas (2000m, three-year-olds).
In recent years, there has been almost no interest from three-year-olds to take the Queen Elizabeth test. The 2013 edition featured one three-year old (It’s A Dundeel), the 2012 none and 2011 one (Retrieve).
Only one three-year-old has ever won the race and that was Intergaze in 1997.
The 2000m mark is ideal for horses to either step up or down in distance without drastically altering their training regimes, while the weight-for-age aspect opens the race up to the three-year-olds.
Unlike the Cox Plate, the three-year-olds will only get a minor weight concession in the Queen Elizabeth, with colts and geldings assigned 6kg more than what they would carry in the Cox Plate.
The field will be headlined by horses who will essentially have never met before. Melbourne Cup winner Fiorente leads the market from It’s A Dundeel, while the allure of the race has led Boban to progress from handicap racing and youngsters Guelph and Savvy Nature to exit their age group.
The only thing the Queen Elizabeth has failed to do is attract international attention like the Melbourne Cup does year after year.
The major issue with Sydney luring international talent is the timing of the race three weeks after the Dubai World Cup – also run over 2000m under weight-for-age conditions but worth $10 million.
Due to Australia’s strict quarantine conditions, the three weeks in between races is not enough time for any horses to compete in both races. This is why European, American and Asian horses will see the Dubai World Cup as more favourable.
One distinguishing feature between the races though is that the Dubai World Cup is run at Meydan on their synthetic tapeta surface, whereas the Queen Elizabeth is run on traditional turf.
Hong Kong Cup (2000m, weight-for-age) winner Akeed Mofeed would have been a major pull for the Queen Elizabeth but trainer Richard Gibson eventually opted for Dubai.
“In the end, the quarantine situation with Australia made the decision for us,” he said.
The good news though, is most of the prize money will stay in Australia which is something the Melbourne Cup has failed to achieve in recent years.
The first revised edition hasn’t even be run yet, but the Queen Elizabeth Stakes now has the Cox Plate firmly on the back foot as the pinnacle of Australian racing.
Alice
Guest
Australia already has more provincial and country races with higher prize money than anywhere in the world. It has done nothing to help owners. Horse racing is simply not a profitable business for the small-time owner and that's why overseas it's dominated by large multinational corporations. However, the Championships can attract more owners to the industry, and can potentially become as prestigious as the Melbourne Cup, which will be fantastic for breeders and overseas owners. Moreover, your race comparisons are ridiculous. Of course the Championships aren't as good as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe--they haven't been run yet! The point is that they could be, with time and the right marketing. Why is it such a terrible thing to be optimistic and hope? And anyway, I personally don't want our Championships to be like the Arc. You go to France, nobody knows what the Arc de Triomphe is outside of horse racing circles. It has no prestige beyond breeders. Give me a race like the Melbourne Cup, where everyone in Australia watches and has a bet without caring about "prestige", any day. Your other comparison is ridiculous as well. The Magic Millions Day maiden isn't prestigious because it's restricted to maidens from the Magic Millions sales, not because of the prizemoney. I'm sure if you made it free for all horses you would get more or less the same field as the Takeover Target Stakes.
HuggingTheRails
Guest
This has got to be one of the most farcical pieces of rubbish I've ever read. How do you call yourself a racing fan (you certainly can't be a journalist writing this stuff...) when you're mentioning the Queen Elizabeth in the same breath as the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe - arguably the most prestigious race in the world. Money does not equate to prestige. If you really want the money to stay in Australia, distribute the $4million dollars to the country clubs and push the prize money of maidens and restricted class races up. This would make racing a more attractive financial option for the everyday owner (ie. the ones with a share in one or two horses, not the Darley's, Kolivos', WIlliams', etc). Just because the Magic Millions Day Maiden is worth $100,000, it doesn't make it as prestigious as say a Wangoom or Takeover Target Stakes.
Hazza
Guest
How crucial is the draw at Randwick over 2000m., especially given the likelyhood of a full field? Is there a decent run in before the first turn ?
Sammy
Guest
The top 10% of premium racing will always be fine in terms of prestige, marketing, prizemoney and turnover no matter where in the world you are. I just hope the industry makes sure the other 90% of racing can grow and thrive. Having been over there this year I can say the "other 90%" in British racing is a basket case, and the direction NZ racing is heading is worrying.
Justin Cinque
Expert
That's a very good point!
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
Really enjoyed that. What an exciting prospect the QEII has become.
Scuba
Guest
"For a horse like Savvy Nature, the traditional autumn campaign would encompass the three-year-old Triple Crown – Randwick Guineas, Rosehill Guineas and Australian Derby worth a combined $3.1 million. But why chase $3.1 million when you can send your best three-year-old to the $3 million Doncaster Mile and $4million Queen Elizabeth Stakes? Which is exactly what O’Shea will be doing with Savvy Nature." Savvy Nature isn't going to the Derby because, after the Spring, O'Shea doesn't think he's a genuine stayer. He's planning exactly the same campaign as Sacred Falls had last year with a $4m carrot on top which it would be silly not to chase. How the overall quality of the QE field will stack up isn't really a question that can be answered months in advance, but it's at least almost certain with the prizemoney jump that there will be a capacity field, which hasn't always been the case in recent years. Hopefully that ensures a genuine tempo and the worthy winner.
Cameron Rose
Expert
Perfectly summed up Alfred. I particularly liked "The 2000m mark is ideal for horses to either step up or down in distance without drastically altering their training regimes, while the weight-for-age aspect opens the race up to the three-year-olds." The Queen Elizabeth will truly be the championship race of The Championships, and if the prizemoney holds and the race draws the talent that it deserves, in time I'd have no problem with it over-taking the Cox Plate as one of the big four in Australia. That would also have the added benefit of having two in Sydney in the Autumn, two in Melbourne in the Spring, and the four major tracks in the country would also have one race each.
Cameron Rose
Expert
Another element in favour of the QE over the Cox is Randwick over the more niche track of Moonee Valley. There are still horses that aren't as comfortable around the Valley, but on the bigger track and long straight at Randwick there are no excuses.
Drew H
Guest
Australia is king of racing. Look at the high number of stallions that service or shuttle Australia that originate from OS. They want to be here, or at least have fair exposure to Aus. We are so delusional praising the rest. Perhaps there is a bit of joy going to an English track if on a tour of duty, but because we are spoilt, it takes a 10 million+ city of the world to impress us. Don't let OS steal ours. Keep the whole world game on the open market. It will always be a game of pedigree and show.
Justin Cinque
Expert
Hi Alfred I think you've identified why I believe the QE could challenge the Cox Plate and that is the three-year-olds. Sure the three-year-olds create interest in a Cox Plate with their weight advantage but by the time the QE comes around they are key players in Australian racing and add quality as well as interest to weight-for-age races. The QE, because of more mature three-year-olds, should become a better race than the Cox Plate. The other plus for the QE is that the whole carnival builds to that crescendo. It's similar to how the Melbourne spring builds up to the Cup.
Bondy
Guest
I dont think Australia can truly draw top class horses from Europe or Asia , a trip to Australia is not needed with top class european stayers the prize money or prestige on offer somewhere else is better The Arc, Belmont Stks, Dubai World Cup . In 2-3 years time the QE will be a top draw race .