Goodwood, SA Derby Meeting Shifted To Sunday

Tuesday, 22 December 2009 07:15

South Australia's biggest race-meeting of the year has been rescheduled to a Sunday afternoon in order to prevent a clash against an AFL match featuring two local teams, the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power at AAMI Stadium.

Now to be promoted as Super Sunday, the meeting will still carry a total of $1.3 million in prizemoney with no race running for less than $100,000.

The Super Sunday meeting includes two Group 1 events, the Betfair.com South Australian Derby (2500m) and the Distinctive Homes Goodwood Stakes (1200m), as well as five other listed events.

TRSA and the SAJC had announced the Super Saturday fixture months in advance of the AFL who released their fixtures for the 2010 season in October.

Once the AFL decided to schedule the match between the two sides on a Saturday afternoon, pitting the two major events on a collusion course, TRSA and the SAJC have taken evasive action and for the second time in five years have moved the meeting onto a Sunday afternoon.

"While we did give consideration to staying with the Saturday and competing with the AFL, that would have been to the detriment of all the work we have been doing with SA Tourism to position it as a major event, both interstate and statewide," said Thoroughbred Racing SA Chief Executive Jim Watters.

"This is particularly true with the $100,000 Provincial Super Series, a race which is the culmination of 14 qualifying heats being held at provincial race meetings around SA and is an important part of the campaign to attract South Australians to Adelaide for the State's richest race day."

As a result of the Super Sunday move, the Millicent Racing Club's Cup Meeting scheduled for Sunday has also been swapped to cover the Saturday vacancy and will be held at Mount Gambier with a prizemoney boost to all races on the card.

The Scott Group of Companies Millicent Cup stakes will increase to $30,000 with a $15,000 sprint.

All other races will now have a minimum stake of $14,000 following a prizemoney top-up by the Millicent Racing Club.

"We feel this move best rewards the club for its initiative and enthusiasm while also fulfilling our requirement to hold a race meeting in South Australia on the Saturday," Mr Watters said.

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