Bookie and Racing Victoria launch rich maiden for ‘battlers’

Clinton Payne - Wednesday October 4

Corporate bookie Sportsbet has announced The Hotham – a $50,000 race where reverse ballot conditions will apply thus meaning some of Victoria's worst horses will have the chance of a rich payday.

Advertisement

The race will be run at Ballarat on October 12 over 1200m.

Sportsbet and Racing Victoria have dubbed the contest 'The richest battlers race in Australia' and is will be the most valuable maiden run in Victoria.

"We want to fly the flag for the biggest Aussie battlers, the forever maidens that are yet to taste their first win," Sportsbet.com.au's CEO Cormac Barry said.

"We are investing further into Victorian racing and doing it the Sportsbet way."

Maiden horses with most starts will be given preference in the race's ballot alongside the lowest prizemoney and age of the horse.

The concept of isn't a new one in Australian racing. The Moment Of Glory was a harness race based on the same principles at Fairfield for many years while the Dapto greyhound racing club ran the Shot At Glory in recent years.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday September 12
Here is the full list of 43 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
New G2 Winner for St Marks Basilica
Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) has had a flurry of promising winners in recent weeks and among then is talented filly Aylin, who claimed her first Black Type win overnight when taking out the Group II May Hill Stakes (1m) at Doncaster.
Aptly Named Watchme Win Records Second SW
Maintaining his unbeaten first up record, Harry Angel 4yo Watchme Win started the race favourite and never let his supporters down, pulling clear to win the Listed SAJC W H Wylie Handicap (1100m) at Morphettville, his second black type victory.
1.7million Filly a New SW for St Mark’s Basilica
The top lot at the 2024 Arqana Deauville August Yearling Sale was a blueblood St Mark’s Basilica filly from blue hen Prudenzia that sold for €1.7million to MV Magnier and she became the latest stakes-winner for her sire when romping to an impressive win in the Listed Ingabelle Stakes (7f) at Leopardstown overnight.
Wootton Bassett Colt wins G2 Champagne
Wootton Bassett colt Puerto Rico picked a nice race in which to break his maiden landing the Group II Champagne Stakes (7f) at Doncaster overnight.
G1 Racing Awaits Lazurra After Let’s Elope Stakes Success
Racing interstate for the first time in her career, Chris Waller’s 4yo Snitzel mare Lazurra added a fourth black type victory to her record, winning the $300,000 Group 2 VRC Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.
Cream of first crop a cornerstone for Aysar
Entries close today for the 2026 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale and among the highlights will be the cream of the first crop by Geisel Park sire Aysar.
No Stopping Autumn Glow As Theo Mark Stakes Brings Up Six
Taking her unbeaten run to six with a facile victory in the $300,000 Group 2 ATC Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday, the Chris Waller trained Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) has the Group 1 Epsom Handicap as her immediate elite level goal.
Golden Path flies home in Flemington finale
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Golden Path staked his claim for higher honours later in the spring with a strong-finishing victory to close out Saturday’s Flemington card.
VRC Derby Contender For Mosheen’s Grandson Kakkoii
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable are no strangers to Japanese bloodlines, having trained Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) and Glint Of Hope (Jpn) (Deep Impact) to Group 1 success in Australia, and they look to have another smart one in Kakkoii (Kizuna) who broke his maiden over 1611m at Sale on Sunday.