Protect the major dates of each carnival

Racing Australia must play a role in setting the agenda to protect major carnival race dates in all states of Australia.

Whilst the war of spring and autumn racing is obvious in Melbourne and Sydney, other major jurisdictions must be protected as well

• The late November - early December dates in Perth

• Adelaide needs two clear Saturdays in early-mid May

• It is essential Brisbane has winter for itself - late May to late June.

As you will see later, on these "protected dates" as sanctioned by racing Australia, no other jurisdiction should be allowed to have races higher than group 3 status.

If the intention of any state to create races that inflict market pressure on other states and affect future breeding by winning horses earning ridiculous figures beside their name [that appear in future sales catalogues etc]..... then these races should be capped at $300,000 maximum [with a rise/fall clause as the years progress]

The great argument - Melbourne vs Sydney

Here is one solution as demonstrated below - based on dates for 2025:

This example is for Spring where Melbourne dates are protected, however it is the opposite for Autumn with Melbourne having a grand final day, before the 4 protected days of Sydney autumn commence.

As Melbourne gets the extra day for Melbourne Cup, then Sydney has a chance to create the Southern Hemisphere World Series in May by following on from the Hong Kong International carnival [gifting those internationals free entry to the events].

So many International horses have travelled to be in Hong Kong, this would be the time to show initiative with quarantine and invite "every entrant" for a new series in Australia only 2 weeks later.

So here is one of my concepts:

• Each state has 4 consecutive Saturdays [Melbourne in Spring ~ Sydney in Autumn]

  • No other jurisdiction can:

    • race higher than group 3 status on these 4 dates

    • cannot offer prizemoney higher than $300,000 in any race

• The opposite state will have a grand final to their "spring/autumn" with clear air under exactly the same conditions:

  • No other jurisdiction can:

    • race higher than group 3 status on this grand final day to their carnival

    • cannot offer prizemoney higher than $300,000 in any race

• So on Saturday 11th October 2025

  • SYDNEY CAN HAVE A SUPER SATURDAY

    • Everest

    • King Charles

    • Golden Eagle

    • Spring Champion

• On this day, Melbourne can run group 3's and lower, in doing so creating their own super Saturday the following week to start day 1 of the 4 protected dates

  • Caulfield Cup

  • Toorak Hcp

  • Caulfield Guineas

  • Schillaci stks

• As Melbourne has the Cup Day on Tuesday in between Saturdays 3 and 4, this is a chance for Sydney to get the advantage of an extra day as follows:

  
  

  • New SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE world series championships to be run the week after the Hong Kong Carnival International Day in the last week of April, so many of our local horses will still be race fit and ready to compete against some of the world's best after the Sydney Championships have finished.

    • So run this event in the second week of May [quarantine ?]

    • Free entry to every horse that travelled to Hong Kong for their G1 majors

      • HKJC Chairmans Sprint

      • HKJC Champions Mile

      • HKJC Queen Elizabeth II Cup

      • INVITE HORSES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO JOIN THE SYDNEY CARNIVAL AND STAY ON FOR THIS SERIES - THE BEST IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE

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I like the idea of clubs rearranging their dates to provide the punters with the best horses and interstate jockeys all competing on the one course on one day.

Sydney has the chance to have a super Saturday - look at the potential.

Here is the overview [my thoughts] on a protected carnival may look, including the chance for the opposite state to run a Grand Final or Super Day with clear air on the last day before the 4 protected dates commence:

So come on Racing Australia.... let's do something and start "planning the dates" so we can provide the best showcase product, then all punters get to witness the best horses racing against each other in the traditional and historic group races.

regards

Trevor Donaldson

Progeny Consulting