Darren Weir's now dual Group 1 winner, Trust In A Gust
The city of Ballarat has long held a reputation for unearthing gold and this weekend shapes as no exception, as future stars of the turf prepare to launch their 2014-15 VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series campaigns.
The highly anticipated series kicks off with the $100,000 VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade (1400m) for three-year-olds, one of the feature events in Ballarat’s inaugural stand-alone Saturday Cup Day card.
The third running of the popular three-year-old dash-for-cash has attracted 18 nominations with connections eager to secure the $30,000 Super VOBIS bonus available for nominated entrants.
Racing Victoria Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said the VOBIS Gold feature added an exciting dimension to Saturday’s program, having already unearthed a number of impressive Victorian-bred gallopers.
“The VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series has produced some wonderful stories in its initial two years through the deeds of horses like Trust In A Gust, Eloping and Worth A Ransom, and that will continue with its expansion this year to include four-year-olds,” Carpenter said.
“Racing Victoria, in partnership with Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria and the Victorian Coalition Government, continue to make a concerted effort to ensure Victoria is the most attractive place to breed, buy, own and race horses and the ongoing enhancement of the VOBIS incentive schemes continues to be a priority.”
Trust In A Gust's happy owners after his Eureka Stockade win
The Eureka Stockade has quickly earned a reputation as a launch-pad of champions despite its relative infancy.
Last year’s victor, Trust In A Gust, would go on to win six of his next 10 starts following his Eureka Stockade victory including the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes-Toorak Handicap Group 1 double.
Local horseman Darren Weir’s hopes of securing back-to-back wins in the Stockade rest solely with impressive last-start winner Profit Share while recent Spring Racing Premierships winning co-trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig will be represented by up-and-coming Wanted colt, Shaf.
A number of 2013 VOBIS Gold bonus winners have again decided to chance their luck in the lucrative series with Mick Price’s VOBIS Gold Betfair Classic (1300m) winner Devon Princess amongst those vying for a position in the race.
With a total of $1.9 million available across 13 two, three and four-year-old races in Melbourne and regional Victoria, the VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series offers connections of horses nominated for Victoria’s popular breeding and racing scheme the opportunity to significantly increase their earning potential on the racetrack.
Nominated youngsters will be eligible for up to $19.4 million worth of VOBIS bonuses throughout the 2014-15 racing season.
To be eligible to race in the VOBIS Gold Premier race series horses must first be first nominated for Super VOBIS, which carries bonuses from $9000 to $30,000 on two, three and four-year-old races.
For more information about Super VOBIS or VOBIS Gold, or to download a Super VOBIS nomination form for a 2013-born foal, visit owner.racing.com/vobis