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.

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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.

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