Southside Racing have unveiled a lucrative slot racing series this year, with each of the two A$1 million races in the series also becoming qualifying races for New Zealand’s inaugural Sport Nation Champion Sprint series.
The Southside Racing slot series includes the A$1 million The Meteorite (1200m) and A$1 million Supernova (1400m), with The Meteorite set to take place on Cranbourne Cup Day on November 23, while The Supernova will be run on Pakenham Cup Day on December 21.
Both events are open to three-year-olds and older, and will be conducted under set weights and penalties conditions.
On Thursday, Southside Racing revealed the 14 slot holders for the series:
1. Busuttin Racing
2. Cape Schanck Racing (Tony Ottobre)
3. Carl Holt
4. Cavallo Park
5. Ciaron Maher Racing
6. Ladbrokes Racing Club
7. Lindsay Park Racing
8. Lofty Group
9. Moody Racing
10. Moonee Valley Racing Club
11. OTI Racing
12. Sheamus Mills Bloodstock
13. Southside Racing
14. Sportsbet / Melbourne Racing Club
"The Southside Slot Series is unlike anything we've seen before in Australian racing, and the calibre of slot holders reflects the industry's enthusiasm for this ground-breaking format," Southside Racing chief executive Neil Bainbridge said. "We can't wait to see the best contenders compete on the track and make history."
In addition to the prizemoney on offer, the slot holder who accrues the most points across both races will also be awarded a special bonus.
To add further incentive to the series, each race has become a qualifying race for the Sport Nation Champion Sprint Series in New Zealand, which has become a part of Entain Australia and New Zealand and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing's Champion Bonus series.
As part of the new Summer Carnival, the new Champion Sprint Series will join the revamped Champion Middle Distance Series and will be run for a total of $1 million in bonuses, with the final race in each series to be run on Champions Day, also home to the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), on March 8 at Ellerslie.
Points will be allocated to the first four placegetters of each race in the respective series, with a bonus pool of $500,000 being shared amongst the owners of the three highest point scoring horses at the conclusion of each series ($300,000 for first, $150,000 for second, and $50,000 for third).
To be eligible to win or place in a series, a horse must compete in at least one Group One race in New Zealand in the relevant Series. If two or more horses finish with the same number of points in a series, the relevant bonus amount will be shared amongst the owners of those horses.
Sport Nation Champion Sprint Series – Qualifying Races
• Listed Lindauer Stewards Stakes - 16 November 2024
• The Meteorite (Melbourne) - 23 November 2024
• Gr.3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl - 30 November 2024
• Gr.1 Winterbottom Stakes (Perth) - 30 November 2024
• Gr.3 George Moore Stakes (Brisbane) - 30 November 2024
• Gr.3 Concorde Stakes - 7 December 2024
• The Supernova (Melbourne) - 21 December 2024
• Listed Christmas Stakes (Melbourne) - 26 December 2024
• Listed Canterbury Sprint (Sydney) - 1 January 2025
• Gr.1 TAB Telegraph - 4 January 2025
• Gr.1 Sistema Railway - 25 January 2025
• Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint - 8 February 2025
• Gr.3 Haunui Farm King's Plate - 8 March 2025
For more information, visit: https://nztr.co.nz/champion-bonus-series
