2020 TAB Stradbroke Season set for Launch
Tuesday, 19 May 2020
The Brisbane Racing Club’s historic TAB Stradbroke Season launches on Saturday with racegoers invited to join the action from their loungerooms with a host of innovative virtual experiences never before seen with Queensland carnival meetings.
Eagle Farm and Doomben Racecourses will race across the next four Saturdays, sharing 12 Group races as part of the TAB Stradbroke Season that replaces the traditional Brisbane Racing Carnival following COVID-19 restrictions. The TAB Stradbroke Season will feature:
• 23 May – Moet & Chandon Champagne Classic Day, Eagle Farm Racecourse
• 30 May – XXXX Dry Chairman’s Cup Day, Doomben Racecourse
• 6 June – TAB Stradbroke Day, Eagle Farm Racecourse
• 13 June – Quincy Ladies’ Day, Eagle Farm Racecourse
While patrons cannot be on track for the TAB Stradbroke Season, they are invited to watch on television via the national free-to-air coverage of the Seven Network and Sky Racing and to join in several initiatives as part of Racing Queensland’s “Race At Your Place” campaign.
The BRC has partnered with the Gold Coast Turf Club and the Sunshine Coast Turf Club for a virtual Fashions Off The Field competition. Over three Saturdays, fashionistas can tag #FashionAtYourPlace on their Instagram posts for the chance to win great prizes.
BRC Members will be invited to participate in exclusive competitions including the BRC Punters Club to enhance their at-home experience across the four weeks.
All racing fans watching from home are encouraged to upload footage of themselves on social media under the hashtag #RaceAtYourPlace and #bneraces while also tagging @brisbaneracingclub.
“We know how much Queensland sports fans are missing live action especially when it comes to the on-track experience of the Brisbane Racing Carnival, which has been a feature of these months for more than a century,” BRC Chief Executive Officer Tony Partridge said.
“We have a different schedule this year with the TAB Stradbroke Season and we’re thrilled that Channel Seven and Sky Racing will showcase these historic meetings to sports fans across the country.
“We are very thankful for the support of so many people across this time especially BRC Members, racing industry participants, our BRC partners and staff who are all desperate to return and get back to normal racing but understand the health priorities.”
Australia’s most high-profile stables are targeting runners towards the TAB Stradbroke Season, setting up exciting clashes between southeast Queensland’s best horses and interstate entrants aiming for a share of more than $3 million in prizemoney.
Saturday’s Moet & Chandon Champagne Classic Day will be headlined by the Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) which provides the winner with automatic entry for the Group 1 TAB Stradbroke on June 6.
The Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m) is likely to feature star Brisbane two-year-olds Isotope and Rothfire while the Group 3 Gunsynd Classic (1800m) for the three-year-olds will be a lead-up to the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate two weeks later.
The TAB Stradbroke Season will feature historic moments: the first running of the Listed Pam O’Neill Stakes (1600m) for three-year-old fillies on May 30; the Group 3 Tattersall’s Cup (2400m) moving forward from its usual timeslot with the Tattersall’s Club to June 13; and a switch of the Group 1 J.J. Atkins to 1400m from its usual mile distance, providing a chance for another rising star to follow the likes of previous winners The Autumn Sun, Press Statement, Sizzling, Darci Brahma and Show A Heart.
“This winter program is unlike any we’ve known but we know it can still produce the next wave of Australian racing stars,” Mr Partridge said.
“We’re already seeing some emerging horses from Sydney and Melbourne targeting the Stradbroke Season and we look forward to sports fans engaging with these meetings.”
The BRC has launched a blog-style section of its website with behind-the-scenes and lifestyle content to offer Members and patrons a new perspective on the business during COVID-19.
Each meeting during the TAB Stradbroke Season will continue to adhere to all COVID-19 guidelines.