Racing New South Wales unveils new race $7.5m in bid to rival Melbourne carnival

Racing New South Wales has launched an assault on Melbourne's grip of spring racing by announcing it intends staging million-dollar features across Cox Plate day and the two Saturdays that bookend the Flemington carnival.

In an announcement on Wednesday, Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding said Sydney racing will boast a feature race each Saturday over the heart of the spring.

The highlight of the announcement is a new $7.5 million (£4.3m/€4.8m) race for four-year-olds called the Golden Eagle, which will be run over seven and a half furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Victoria Derby day on November 2 next year.

Balding also announced the $1m Bondi Stakes for three-year-olds over a mile at Randwick on Cox Plate day on October 26, while the $1m Golden Gift (five and a half furlongs), which was first run by the Australian Turf Club in 2015, will be run at Randwick on November 9 and clash with the final day of the Flemington carnival.

Balding said the Golden Eagle will be funded by new revenue streams, which will be announced at a later date.

Australia's richest spring races

1 $13m The Everest (6f)
2 $7.5m Golden Eagle (71/2f)
3 $7.3m Melbourne Cup (2m)
4 $5m Cox Plate (1m2f), Caulfield Cup (1m4f)
6 $2m Caulfield Guineas (1m), Mackinnon Stakes (1m2f), Victoria Derby (1m41/2f)

At $7.5m, the Golden Eagle will be the third-richest race on turf in the world, with ten per cent of the prize-money to be redirected to charities chosen by the connections of the placed horses

The Golden Eagle, Balding explained, was an easy concept for administrators to come up with as a race solely for four-year-olds. He said that as Rosehill already stages the Golden Slipper for two-year-olds and the Golden Rose for three-year-olds, the Golden Eagle was a simple fit for Sydney racing.

He also said a $5m bonus will be paid to connections of any horse that can clinch the Golden Slam across the two-, three- and four-year-old races.

"The Golden Eagle strengthens our spring carnival and provides a further highlight for spring racing in Sydney," Balding said. "It also opens up the possibility of attracting runners from diverse form lines including The Everest, the Sydney Stakes and the Epsom Handicap."

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said: "The Golden Eagle will be entirely funded by new revenues to the NSW Racing Industry. I am delighted that this enables the Golden Eagle to be added as an important feature race at Rosehill and will also distribute $750,000 to charities.

"We want to bring another major event to the western suburbs of Sydney. In the Golden Eagle, we have provided a race that is also a celebration of the west of Sydney.

"Now having the third-richest race on turf in the world behind The Everest and France's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Sydney's west has the perfect day to celebrate."

Balding said the Bondi Stakes will provide a new spring target for three-year-olds in Sydney and follows on from races such as the Golden Rose and the Flight Stakes.

The Golden Gift will provide a focal point for two-year-old racing in the spring, with the prize-money on offer enough to ensure that the first and second will gain a berth in the Golden Slipper.

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