A new event on TAB Melbourne Cup night will give country trainers an added opportunity to share in the riches available on the biggest night of greyhound of the year.
Two heats of the Provincial Plate will be run at Bendigo, Geelong, Cranbourne and Traralgon, with the winner of each progressing to the $35,500 final at Sandown Park on Friday 23 November.
Bendigo Greyhound Racing Association manager Troy Harley believes the new series is a great opportunity for local participants and was looking forward to hosting heats at Lords Raceway.
“The chance for country participants to get involved in nights like Melbourne Cup is a wonderful thing,” he said.
“To have a runner on Melbourne Cup night is a great experience, let alone having the chance to run for good prize money. This series will give local owners and trainers a fantastic opportunity to be a part of the biggest night in greyhound racing.”
The Provincial Plate is part of a suite of changes to the TAB Melbourne Cup night that will see $1m in prize money available for the first time on a single greyhound race meeting. The TAB Melbourne Cup – the world’s richest greyhound race – will carry a record $630,000 in prize money.
In all, there will be eight feature finals on TAB Melbourne Cup night and all races will carry a minimum of $10,000.
Heats of the Bendigo leg of the Provincial Plate will be run on Friday 16 November with the final to be run at Sandown Park on TAB Melbourne Cup night on Friday 23 November.
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Paw note: In November 2017, Greyhound Racing Victoria announced a $4m annual increase in prize money. There will be over $47m in prize money available in Victoria in the 2018/19 season.
Greyhound racing’s first million dollar night – the changes to TAB Melbourne Cup night explained
