New November raceday headlines 2023 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival enhancements
Racing Victoria has today confirmed the primary structure of the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival program announcing key enhancements for 2023.
The key elements are:
- A shift of the Schweppes Thousand Guineas at Caulfield to the Saturday after TAB Champions Stakes Day, supplemented by a new Country Cups Final and the relocated Group 1 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes;
- A shift of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes to Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day after a late change owing to weather successfully combined the two in 2022; and
- The Ladbrokes Cox Plate remaining in its traditional timeslot between the Carlton Draught Caulfield Cup and Lexus Melbourne Cup.
The Review Process
Racing Victoria reviews its racing schedule every year. This is done in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including owners, trainers, jockeys, wagering partners, media partners and Clubs.
This year’s review identified an opportunity to enhance the metropolitan schedule in November, where there is generally better weather and less competition in the Australian sporting landscape.
RV considered various options to achieve this. These included shifting the whole SRC, moving the Schweppes Thousand Guineas from a Wednesday to a Saturday, and shifting the Ladbrokes Cox Plate to mid-to-late November as the weight-for-age grand final of the year.
Stakeholders expressed broad support for owning more of November and a full range of views on the options. Some were strongly supportive, some were strongly against, with the bulk cautiously supportive.
Ultimately RV decided to move the Schweppes Thousand Guineas, but not the Ladbrokes Cox Plate determining that:
- Moving the Schweppes Thousand Guineas is low-risk financially and enhances the racing program; and
- Moving the Ladbrokes Cox Plate had more pros and cons to consider. While the Ladbrokes Cox Plate clearly works in its current timeslot, RV believes it also works well in mid-late November. However, with the current Victorian Wagering and Betting Licence expiring in August 2024, the industry faces significant uncertainty around future funding. RV decided not to consider making any change to the Ladbrokes Cox Plate date until this uncertainty is resolved.
Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day
The Melbourne Racing Club will host an exciting new Group 1 raceday at Caulfield the week after TAB Champions Stakes Day at Flemington. The new meeting, to be held on Saturday, 18 November 2023, will include the following feature races:
- The Group 1 Schweppes Thousand Guineas (1600m, 3YO Fillies) – which moves from the Caulfield Cup Carnival in October and increases from $1 million to $1.5 million;
- The Group 1 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m, Handicap) – which moves from September and increases from $1 million to $1.5 million;
- A new $1 million Country Cups Final run over 2000m which will bring together the best performers from Victoria’s 55 Country Cups. Further details regarding the series name, conditions and points system will be announced over coming weeks; and
- The Group 3 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (3YO) – which moves from the Caulfield Cup Carnival in October, increases from 1200m to 1400m and from $200,000 to $500,000.
To assist with programming towards the Schweppes Thousand Guineas, the following change has also been made:
- The $300,000 Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m, 3YO Fillies) will move from September onto Caulfield Guineas Day – Saturday, 14 October 2023.
In creating this new feature raceday, RV believes that it:
- Better showcases the Schweppes Thousand Guineas, racing on a Saturday as opposed to a Wednesday;
- Creates a better progression for 3YO fillies and middle-distance handicappers; and
- Provides greater context for and a fitting climax to the state’s 55 Country Cups.
RV will continue to work with the MRC on finalising the balance of the program for Schweppes Thousand Guineas Day with further announcements to follow.
Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival
As part of its Spring Racing Carnival review, the RV Board also considered whether to move the Ladbrokes Cox Plate at The Valley from its existing position in late October to late November, two weeks after the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
The Board ultimately determined not to proceed with the move in 2023, however it remains open to considering such changes in the future should it be in the best interests of Victorian racing at the time.
The Board was satisfied that a suitable revamp of the SRC program could be delivered with a November Ladbrokes Cox Plate and that the race would work well as the weight-for-age grand final of the year.
However, they ultimately formed the view that a monumental change such as this was not appropriate at this time given current uncertainty with the 2024 conclusion of the current Victorian Wagering and Betting Licence, which provides more than $205 million per annum in funding to the racing industry.
Parallel to the spring planning process, the Victorian Racing Industry continues to work closely with the Victorian Government to finalise terms and funding arrangements related to the future licence framework to provide certainty for the industry.
With the Ladbrokes Cox Plate remaining in October, RV and the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) have today announced the following changes to the two-day program for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival:
- The Group 1 $2 million Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) will now be run as part of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day program on the second day of the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival (Saturday, 28 October 2023); and
- The Group 2 $1 million McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) will now move from the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day program to become the feature race on the opening night at The Valley – Friday, 27 October 2023.
The Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes had to be moved from the Friday to the Saturday in 2022 due to inclement weather which saw the night meeting abandoned. The last-minute change did, however, deliver a significant increase in fan interest and wagering, which underpins the decision for a permanent switch in 2023.
Other Feature Meetings
With the introduction of the new Caulfield feature meeting on 18 November, Racing Victoria has announced that the following will occur with related meetings in 2023:
- The Ladbrokes Cranbourne Cup meeting will move back one week to Saturday, 25 November 2023, and the Sportsbet Ballarat Cup meeting will move back two weeks to Saturday, 9 December 2023;
- The Herald Sun Zipping Classic meeting will remain in its current timeslot at Caulfield, three weeks after the Melbourne Cup Carnival on Saturday, 2 December 2023;
- Discussions regarding the programming of the Sportsbet Pakenham Cup will continue with the Pakenham Racing Club on the best suitable alternative date to that now occupied by the Sportsbet Ballarat Cup;
- The Wednesday meeting during Caulfield Cup Week will be retained at Caulfield on 18 October 2023 with the program to be determined following further consultation between RV and MRC; and
- RV and MRC will also continue discussions around the program for Saturday, 23 September 2023 at Caulfield where the Group 1 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes was previously domiciled.
The full schedule of 2023-24 race dates, which may include other secondary programming changes during SRC, and the prizemoney schedule for next racing season will be released in the coming months following further industry consultation and RV’s annual budgeting process.
Quotes attributable to RV Chief Executive – Andrew Jones
“The Victorian Spring Racing Carnival is exceptional on any measure. We are evolving from a position of strength.
“Our clear view is that we can grow racing’s audience by enhancing our schedule in November. This view is shared by the majority of those we consulted. There was terrific discussion and debate about the best way to do so.
“The new Schweppes Thousand Guineas raceday at Caulfield on 18 November is a fantastic addition to our spring schedule. The racing program is elite, and it improves our offering for fans and owners.
“The Ladbrokes Cox Plate works brilliantly already. It would also work well as a Carnival-ending weight-for-age grand final in November. In the end, we were reluctant to make such a monumental change until the uncertainty around our future funding from the wagering licence is resolved.
“We will continue to innovate our schedule across the year. Our goals are always to provide more entertainment for fans and punters, and to increase returns to owners, trainers and jockeys.
“I want to thank all who engaged with our review process, particularly the Clubs, trainers and owners. We are united in our goal to make Victoria’s Spring Racing Carnival the best it can be.”
Quotes attributable to RV Executive General Manager – Racing, Matt Welsh
“These changes enhance the existing racing schedule with clearly defined pathways to newly established or relocated races.
“Extensive consultation with trainers and owners was highly valuable with feedback helping to shape today’s announcement.
“This new schedule better showcases the Schweppes Thousand Guineas on a Saturday instead of a Wednesday, delivering an enhanced progression for three-year-old fillies.
“The $1 million Country Cups Final ties together our 55 Country Cups, providing greater context and a fitting annual climax. It will also complement our existing $500,000 Melbourne Cup Carnival Series Final at Flemington nine days earlier.
“The adversity of last year’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate Carnival has paved the way for a change in 2023 that enhances the program, whilst retaining a two-day carnival to maximise engagement and returns.
“The dates of the Cranbourne, Ballarat and Pakenham Cups will change next season, but they will retain prominent timeslots where the Clubs can continue to deliver fantastic meetings for fans and participants. “Work is continuing with Clubs on the broader spring program and this will intersect with our annual prizemoney process. We will have more announcements to make in the weeks and months ahead.”
