Club Menangle lauds APG opportunities in NSW

Bill Ellis, Club Menangle Executive Director and one of the Club’s appointed Directors to the Australian Pacing Gold (APG) company, has highlighted the fantastic opportunities available to race age-based harness racing horses in New South Wales.

Bill’s vast experience in harness racing is respected across Australasia. Bill is a doyen of harness racing reporting in Australasia.

Bill has told Harnesslink the changes made to the APG format via this year’s sales, provide an outstanding opportunity to race horses, particularly in age-based Group races in the Premier State.

Over recent months APG has consulted with owners, vendors and trainers on the future of the APG Race Series.

A massive 75% of respondents (clear by any means), voted to move away from the APG National Series format. Accordingly, a new State-based Series will be introduced from this year’s APG Sales.

Across Australia the APG series will offer 32 Group Races per season across the 2yo, 3yo and 4yo age groups.

Bill was particularly excited by the fact purchaser at the Sydney APG Sales will not have to travel interstate for the series. That’s unless they want to do so.

NSW Breeders Challenge bred horses purchased through the sales will have a delectable choice of opportunities here in NSW and Club Menangle will be doing everything in its power to increase opportunity and interest. Afterall, Tabcorp Park Menangle is the fastest and largest racing circuit in the Southern Hemisphere and we want to showcase the standardbred at its best.

Club Menangle looks forward to hosting the NSW APG Series where the age-based and separate sex races will include:

• 2yo Finals of $125,000
• 3yo Finals of $125,000
• 4yo Finals of $50,000

But wait, there’s more. NSW and Victoria will each host an End Season Series for 2yo and 3yo Divisions, featuring $30,000 Finals.

Club Menangle has worked hard with the State’s regulator, HRNSW to provide participants with increased opportunities at country, metropolitan and Group meetings. Bill noted that without the leadership of HRNSW, opportunities available in NSW would not be possible.

Accordingly, NSW will have a plethora of Group racing available across the State in 2020.

Kicking off in March is the cornerstone race series, the Bathurst Gold Crown. Universally accepted as the first test for 2yos in Australia. The series features separate 2yo and 3yo Group 1 races.

Oh, and the $1m Ainsworth Miracle Mile in March – and the Sky Carnival of Miracles packed with nine Group 1 races to boot!

Next up will be the first running of the 4yo and 5yo NSW Breeders Challenge eligible Group 1 races at Riverina Raceway, Wagga Wagga in April. Separate racing for the boys and girls at $100,000.

Let’s not forget the first ever running of the $1m Pace at Tabcorp Park Menangle in May!

June heralds the Finals of the NSW Breeders Challenge separate sex races for the 2yo and 3yo eligible youngsters. The 2yo races worth $125,000 and the 3yo races worth $150,000.

It does not end there, Bill noted next-up it’s Christmas in July! July will see the Finals of the NSW Breeders Challenge True Blue Series Finals worth $50,000 and funded by Club Menangle. This series is for NSW Breeders Challenge eligible horses which were sired by stallions standing in NSW and mares served in NSW.

But wait, there is still more! We forgot the steak knives. HRNSW will host the Regional Finals for 2yo and 3yo NSW Breeders Challenge eligible horses at Newcastle Paceway. Separate sex races at Group 2 level worth $50,000.

And if that’s not enough, it’s on to the Breeders Crown program in Victoria to wind-up a year of excitement, records and interest in harness racing.

With some exciting yearlings being presented at the APG Sales across Australia, Bill figures our North American cousins will be looking at the opportunity, the exchange rate and the value available down-under.

Bruce Christison

Club Menangle