The Hayden Slot Auction is a huge success

Prizemoney for the inaugural The Hayden has soared to $231,000.

The huge hike for the race named after Queensland’s superstar cricketer Matthew Hayden came after some spirited bidding for slots in the race built a pool of $131,000. It will all be injected straight back into prize money for the July 15 harness racing feature at Albion Park.

The Hayden was created to find Racing Queensland’s slot runner for the world’s richest race, the inaugural $2.1 million TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 2.

The winner of The Hayden gets that prized slot in the TAB Eureka.

Racing Queensland devised the novel way of launching The Hayden by auctioning barrier slots for the race at last Sunday’s Ladbrokes Sunshine Stars Yearling Sales on the Gold Coast.

“It something new and different and we didn’t know what to expect, but the talk before it was strong and that’s how it played out at the auction” Racing Queensland’s senior racing manager David Brick said.

“The slots were auctioned-off in barrier order and when the pole went for $19,000 we knew things looked strong.”

Harshell Investments splurged $19,000 for barrier one, which was equal top price with barrier five (bought by Panasonic Studio Productions).

The key to the auction being certain barriers were restricted to specific types of horses, for example barrier one has to be filled by a three-year-old filly, colt or gelding.

Barrier five was so popular because it’s the best draw available to all four-year-olds – meaning a mare, entire or gelding.

KTR Standardbred Stud paid $16,000 for gate two, which is restricted to a three-year-old colt or gelding.

Summit Bloodstock and Aaron Bain Racing outlaid $17,000 for the barrier nine slot, reserved for a four-year-old entire or gelding.

What makes The Hayden even more attractive is the huge slice of any prize money the winner subsequently earns in the TAB Eureka will go back to its connections.

“There will be 10 per cent going to RQ’s partner, Shoreline, which has provided education and employment opportunities for Indigenous students since 2009. The rest goes to the connections,” Brick said.

Head to The Hayden webpage for detailed results of the slot auction – click here.

by Adam Hamilton, for Harness Racing Australia