The Melbourne Festival of Racing will take place from 30 January to 14 March 2010 with 3 race days at Flemington, 3 at Caulfield and 4 at Moonee Valley including 3 Friday night meetings. The Festival also includes country meetings like the Kilmore Cup and the Mornington Cup. There are also social events such as a fashion lunch, Tuesday @ the G with Jim Cassidy (at the MCG) and the William Inglis Yearling Sales.
Melbourne Festival has Group and Listed Races
The top nine Group 1 races carry total prize money of more than $6 million while a further 33 Group and Listed races will be run with prize money of more than $5 million. The first Group 1 is the $500,000 Coolmore Lightning Stakes on the opening day of 30 January at Flemington. The race will feature Cannonball who is the first USA-trained horse to compete in Australia. Other Group 1 races include the $1,000,000 Blue Diamond Stakes, the $1,000,000 Newmarket Handicap, the $1,000,000 Darley Australian Cup and the $750,000 Australian Guineas.
Melbourne Festival of Racing Links to 2 International Series
The Coolmore Lightning Stakes is the opening leg of the Global Sprint Challenge which consists of 8 races in 4 countries – Australia, UK, Japan and Hong Kong. The 2009 winner, Scenic Blast, went on to win the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot that is the 2nd leg. On 27 February the $500,000 Rokk Ebony Futurity Stakes at Caulfield is the first leg of the Asian Mile Challenge, with the other 3 races in Dubai, Hong Kong and Japan.
