The carnival will for the first time have a feature race carrying at least $1 million in prizemoney each week.
The $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens on 2 November 2019 will now be supported by the advent of the $1 million Winners Stakes to be run over 1300m under set weight and penalty conditions. This race will be renamed each year in honour of the previous year's winner of The Everest and accordingly will be known as The Redzel Stakes in 2019.
The Golden Eagle meeting will also see the running of the inaugural Rosehill Gold Cup over 2000m for prizemoney of $500,000, also attached to a bonus from races on 5 October and 19 October 2019.
The path to the Golden Eagle will include the running of a new race being the $500,000 Silver Eagle over 1300m at Royal Randwick on Saturday 12 October 2019, three weeks prior.
The Silver Eagle will be restricted to four-year olds and run at set weight and penalty conditions.
Other major changes to the program: Spring Champion Stakes on 12 October - prizemoney will increase from $500,000 to $1 million $1 million Bondi Stakes for three-year olds on Saturday 26 October $1 million Golden Gift for two-year olds on 9 November $500,000 Hot Danish Stakes for fillies and mares on 9 November Over the period from Saturday, 7 September to Saturday, 9 November the ATC Saturday race meetings will feature prizemoney of $45 million.
Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, Kevin Anderson MP, said the NSW thoroughbred racing industry is going from strength to strength and rivals that of other racing jurisdictions around the world.
"We hear it time and time again that people want to attend races in New South Wales, rather than travel to other states, which is why this investment from Racing NSW will be significant for race goers and participants alike," Mr Anderson said.
"The Everest has been a phenomenon with no other event coming to prominence so quickly. The NSW Government in partnership with Racing NSW and the ATC want to see this rapid growth continue and the expanded carnival is important in the next stage of its growth." Racing NSW Chairman Mr Russell Balding AO said
"The Everest has captured extraordinary interest both inside and outside racing throughout Australia and internationally. The inception of the Golden Eagle with the addition of the Winners Stakes and Silver Eagle will further strengthen our racing program during the Spring in Sydney.
"We are confident that the addition of these new races, along with the programming change will ensure that they attract the highest quality horses to compete through the entirety of our Spring carnival and that the racing public will have the opportunity to celebrate and experience Sydney racing at its best."
Australian Turf Club Chairman Matt McGrath said: "Sydney continues to build its own world class racing Carnival in the Spring and these changes further enhance the racing program as well as delivering fantastic returns to our key stakeholders.
"The Australian Turf Club has recently launched its hospitality sales program for our Spring racing and we have been thrilled with the early response which will only be enhanced after these announcements."
Racing NSW Release
