Seven Sydney Cup horses in the running for ATC bonus
Seven horses in Saturday’s Group 1 $2 million Sydney Cup at Royal Randwick will be racing for Australian Turf Club bonus payments after winning or running a place in several key pathway races.
Patrick Erin, Brimham Rocks, Glory Days, Top of the Range, Midterm, Big Duke and Shraaoh will be racing for an added $100,000 bonus for their owners and $50,000 for their trainers if they win or place on Saturday.
The five races that form part of the bonus initiative are set out below, in which horses either won or ran placings in:
– The Metropolitan at Royal Randwick on Saturday 29 September, 2018;
– The Perth Cup at Ascot on Saturday 5 January, 2019;
– The Auckland Cup at Ellerslie in New Zealand on Saturday 9 March 2019;
– The Adelaide Cup at Morphettville on Monday 11 March, 2019;
– NE Manion Cup at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday 23 March 2019.
This is the second year the Australian Turf Club has offered the bonus payments.
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The seven runners are part of a capacity 20-horse field over the 3,200m distance on Saturday, with Godolphin import Dubhe ($3) heading the market at online bookmaker Neds.
Australian Turf Club Executive General Manger of Racing Services and Membership James Heddo said the bonus system had added further interest and participation in Australia’s premier Autumn staying handicap.
“Last year the Schweppes Sydney Cup had its biggest field in 15 years and now for the second consecutive year we have a capacity field of 20, plus an emergency,” Mr Heddo said.
“We are thrilled with this result after implementing the place bonus initiative for the last two runnings of this premier staying event.
“The bonus payments not only give owners and trainers added incentive to participate in this great race but they also allow the Australian Turf Club to provide shared value with race clubs across Australian and New Zealand.
“It’s also very pleasing to see another international runner from Godolphin in Dubhe, the current Schweppes Sydney Cup favourite.”