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Home » sports » Horse Racing » Sydney Racing » Sydney Races: Our Review of the 2014 Sydney Racing Carnival

Sydney Races: Our Review of the 2014 Sydney Racing Carnival

The Sydney Racing Carnival took place between March 22nd and April 26th, providing fans with some of the biggest events in the history of New South Wales horse racing. Thanks to the recent merger of two of the most influential racing authorities in Australia as well as investment from the NSW government, the 2014 carnival saw some of the richest races in the world take place in a rejuvenated Royal Randwick, one of the best facilities in the world for this type of event. Due to significant efforts to grow the carnival, the success of this year’s event weighs heavily on future expansion for Sydney races.

Gigantic Purses at the Championships

The main focus for horse racing fell on the Championships, which recently received a $10 million grant from the NSW government to develop the event and the Sydney Racing Carnival as a whole. Much of the investment went into improving the purses, resulting in some of the biggest payouts in the world of horse racing. Day one of the Championships saw the richest mile in the Star Doncaster Mile race, which held the biggest purse for an open sprint race with $2.5 million up for grabs in the Darley TJ Smith Stakes, as well as a $2 million prize for the BMW Australian Derby and $1 million for the Inglis Sires’ Produce Stakes. Day two of the Championships featured the largest prize of the Sydney Racing Carnival with the $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which offers the most money for a 2,000 metre turf race. The second day also saw three million dollar races in the Schweppes Sydney Cup, the Australian Oaks, and the Queen of the Turf Stakes, and two half-million dollar sprints in the Royal Sovereign Stakes and the Royal Randwick Stakes – resulting in a total of $16.5 million dollars in purses for the two days.

Other significant races during the Sydney Racing Carnival included the $3.5 million dollar Golden Slipper – the first leg of the two-year-old triple crown – and the Schweppes All-Aged Stakes, which pitted the best thoroughbreds against each other for one last sprint during the carnival.

Social Events at the Sydney Racing Carnival

The Sydney Racing Carnival set the tone on opening day with Cellarbration’s Ladies Day, which featured a variety of events that catered to socialites and punters alike. In addition to the exclusive Ladies Long Lunch, Ladies Lounge area, and live music and giveaways, Myer held a Fashions on the Field competition that awarded best dressed awards for women’s racewear. Rosehill Guineas Day featured a Ladies Pamper Lounge and a special Trackside Race Day Luncheon. A full day of racing during Golden Slipper Day was complemented by another day of live music and giveaways, featuring the Toohey New Social Club and another best dressed competition, this time for both men and women. Day one and two for the Championships kept the ball rolling, with more prizes and events, including free make-up and hair touch-ups compliments of L’Oreal. The Championships social events culminated with the presentation of the Longines Award for Elegance. Schweppes Stakes Day closed the Sydney Racing Carnival in the usual fashion with prizes and complimentary giveaways, and ended with an epic DJ battle between Brooklyn and Timmy Trumpet. Each of the six days of the carnival offered the first 8,000 fans a fortune cookie, one of which had a golden ticket. This resulted in $30,000 in cash given away during the proceedings.

Racing into an Uncertain Future

Government investment and the merger of the Australian Jockey Club with the She Sydney Turf Club to become the Australian Turf Club have led to the renaissance of the 2014 Sydney Racing Carnival. The investment from the NSW government raised the stakes in terms of purses and marketing while the combining of two significant horse racing bodies allowed for a more focused approach to addressing criticism of poor attendance, especially in terms of female fans. Despite these efforts and fortunate weather, however, attendance fell short of expected targets, particularly during the two days of the Championships. Racing minister George Souris declared that future government funding depends on the beneficial financial impact that the carnival derives from the 2014 event.

This year’s carnival featured fine racing action and some of the biggest purses in the world along with superb social events dedicated to fans of all types. However, regardless of the quality of the races and social events, the Sydney Racing Carnival is expected to match or exceed the estimated $41 million dollar windfall to the local economy. Hopefully, lukewarm attendance figures won’t result in dampening the growth of what was a fantastic 2014 season for the carnival.