ROOTS AND ALL
The cry for more money to be thrown at the All Aged Stakes to ensure a dream match-up of Black Caviar, More Joyous and co went around again last week.
"Build it and they will come" has been the philosophy of the Australian Turf Club with its new grandstand, but little thought has gone into making the carnival unique.
It can't compete with Melbourne in spring and should stop being compared with it. Thinking outside the box, a bonus could be added now that the carnival falls under one club, the Australian Turf Club.
The innovative minds at the ATC, who are finally showing some inclination to break with tradition, have an opportunity to make something very special.
The plea for more stakes for a single race will not improve the Sydney carnival. There are 21 group 1 races and it could be argued most need a boost in stakes. The BMW at weight-for-age over 2400 metres is an anomaly at $2.25 million. A drop of $500,000 to $1.75 million wouldn't change the quality of the field a great deal, but under the merger it is protected.
The day with the most potential is the final day at Randwick on April 27. The group 1 races are there: the All Aged Stakes over 1400m, Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 2000m, Champagne Stakes for two-year-olds run on the famous mile circuit and the Sydney Cup at 3200m.
It should be labelled championship day. By the time it comes around there will be up to 17 group 1 winners for the autumn, so why not try to attract them to race on the day.
The thing that stands in the way is prizemoney. It is disappointing for the Sydney Cup and Queen Elizabeth to only carry $500,000, while the All Aged and the Champagne are pegged at $400,000.
The ATC has stated there is no room to move its stakes, apart from the All Aged, which doesn't have a sponsor. Racing NSW and the club should look at a bonus to run on championship day, of say $1 million, for group 1 winners from the Sydney autumn that win another group 1 on the final day.
It could be split between the four winners, or not won at all, but would create interest. There would be a couple of runners in each group 1 shooting for the bonus, like the Golden League in athletics, and tension could grow during the day.
On Saturday the Sydney carnival begins with the Coolmore Classic, Canterbury Stakes and Ranvet Stakes. The clash of More Joyous and Pierro in the Canterbury Stakes will hog the limelight but the Coolmore Classic is one of the better renewals. The Golden Slipper lead-ups continue with the top two in betting for the $3.5 million feature on April 6, fillies Overreach and Villa Verde facing off in the Reisling Stakes. It leaves the Ranvet in the shadows but it could be the marker in the spring as to where the next weight-for-age star emerged.
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