MURRUMBIDGEE Turf Club (MTC) will host their richest ever Cup carnival this year courtesy of further prizemoney increases.
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MTC have again decided to raise the bar for prizemoney with the Wagga Town Plate and MTC Guineas the two biggest winners.
This year’s Town Plate (1200m) will be worth $110,000, while the Guineas (1600m) has jumped to $80,000.
The listed Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) remains at $150,000.
Over the three days of the carnival, a whopping $838,000 in prizemoney will be offered.
“The MTC is committed to continue building the strength of the Cup carnival, with prizemoney for the two major days jumping by $90,000 to a total of $668,000,” MTC chief executive Scott Sanbrook said.
“The most significant increases have been the main two support events – the XXXX Gold Town Plate and the Audi Centre Wagga MTC Guineas.
“In 2012 the Town Plate was worth $65,000 but in 2017 will carry $110,000.
“And the Guineas has doubled in two years … it’s gone from $40,000 in 2015 to $80,000 this year.
“We believe the $150,000 in prizemoney for the Cup already makes it a blue ribbon event for country racing, so we have focused the carnival as a whole.”
Prizemoney for all but two races over the carnival will increase on 2016 levels.
On the opening day of the carnival, the Murrumbidgee Cup will offer $35,000 and the Town Plate Prelude will rise to $30,000.
The Guineas Prelude, who will be run for $25,000, has been moved to the opening day alongside the other feature lead-ups. The race meeting in between the first and second days of the carnival will not take place this year due to it falling on Anzac Day.
The carnival will begin with prelude day on April 23, before the two big days on May 4-5.