Racing Victoria (RV) has today announced that it will increase prizemoney by more than $16 million for the 2021-22 racing season commencing 1 August 2021.
For the first time, over $280 million in prizemoney and bonuses will be on offer across a season with all owners, trainers and jockeys to get a chance to share in the increases which are spread from once-a-year picnic race meetings to coveted Group 1 features.
Headlining today’s announcement are increases in minimum prizemoney levels for standard country, non-TAB, SKY 2 and picnic race meetings; for metropolitan Saturday and Friday night meetings; and for all Group and Listed races.
The prizemoney increases, which are designed to be sustainable and reward participation at all levels, are achievable off the back of strong wagering on Victorian racing throughout the current financial year.
They are being made to drive continued investment in the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry which generates over $3 billion annually for the Victorian economy and supports the equivalent of 25,000 full-time jobs.
The prizemoney increases are as follows:
Country Minimums
- Over $4 million is being invested to increase minimum prizemoney levels at all 207 standard country meetings from $22,000 to $25,000 per race, including standard maidens which rise from $23,000 to $25,000; and
- Grass roots racing has received a significant uplift with minimum prizemoney for picnic races increasing from $4,000 to $5,000; for non-TAB races from $12,000 to $15,000; and for SKY 2 races from $15,000 to $20,000.
Metropolitan Minimums
- Minimum prizemoney levels for standard Saturday metropolitan races will be increased from $125,000 to $130,000;
- A major investment in Friday night metropolitan racing at The Valley with minimum prizemoney for the 11 standard meetings rising from $50,000 to $60,000, for the three feature meetings from $60,000 to $75,000, and for the three Group 1 meetings from $125,000 to $130,000.
Group & Listed Minimums
The introduction of new minimums for black type races will see prizemoney for 114 Group and Listed races automatically updated with some afforded additional increases as outlined further below. The new black type prizemoney minimums are:
- Group 1 minimum - $750,000 (up from $500,000)
- Group 2 minimum - $300,000 (up from $200,000)
- Group 3 minimum - $200,000 (up from $160,000)
- Listed minimum - $160,000 (up from $140,000)
Metropolitan Features
Prizemoney has been increased to the following totals for these Group 1 races:
- Newmarket Handicap (1200m, Flemington) – $1.5 million (up $250,000)
- Toorak Handicap (1600m, Caulfield) - $1 million (up $500,000)
- William Reid Stakes (1200m, The Valley) - $1 million (up $500,000)
- Black Caviar Lightning (1000m, Flemington) - $1 million (up $250,000)
- Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m, Caulfield) - $750,000 (up $250,000)
- Turnbull Stakes (2000m, Flemington) - $750,000 (up $250,000)
- C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m, Caulfield) - $750,000 (up $250,000)
- Futurity Stakes (1400m, Caulfield) - $750,000 (up $250,000)
- Oakleigh Plate (1100m, Caulfield) - $750,000 (up $250,000)
Prizemoney has been increased above the minimum for the following Group 2 races which headline feature Saturday meetings during the 2021 Spring Racing Carnival:
- Zipping Classic (2400m, Caulfield, 28 November) - $750,000 (up $500,000)
- Feehan Stakes (1600m, The Valley, 4 September) - $500,000 (up $250,000)
Flemington Finals Day is one of the highlights of Victoria’s winter racing calendar and the July 2022 edition will boast two $200,000 features with prizemoney for the Winter Championship Final (1600m) and Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m) both increased.
Pre-COVID Restoration
Prizemoney has been restored to pre-COVID levels for the following Group races during the 2021 Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington which were reduced last year due to the impacts and uncertainty of the pandemic:
- Cantala Stakes (1600m, Group 1) - $2 million (up $500,000)
- Darley Sprint Classic (1200m, Group 1) - $2 million (up $500,000)
- Carbine Club Stakes (1600m, Group 3) - $500,000 (up $250,000)
- Hotham Handicap (2500m, Group 3) - $300,000 (up $100,000)
- Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m, Group 3) - $300,000 (up $100,000)
- Red Roses Stakes (1100m, Group 3) - $300,000 (up $100,000)
Country Features
- The Cranbourne Cup (1600m), which headlines a new standalone Saturday metropolitan meeting on 13 November 2021, will be run for $500,000 – an uplift of $100,000. Total prizemoney for the meeting will surpass $1.5 million with co-feature the Apache Cat Classic (1000m) up from $100,000 to $150,000;
- The 2022 Warrnambool May Carnival has received a significant boost with total prizemoney rising over $400,000 to more than $2.64 million. Minimum prizemoney increases to $50,000 per race across all three days, while the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) rises to $300,000 (from $250,000) and the Listed Wangoom Handicap (1200m) to $200,000 (from $175,000);
- The 2022 Swan Hill Cup Carnival will boast a 20% increase in total prizemoney with minimum levels on the Friday and Sunday of the three-day Carnival boosted to $40,000. The Carnival’s major races will also rise next year with the Swan Hill Cup (1600m) going to $175,000 (from $125,000) and the Golden Topaz (1200m) to $150,000 (from $100,000); and
- The 2022 Golden Mile Raceday at Bendigo, one of the state’s six standalone Saturday metropolitan meetings, will offer record prizemoney with the purse for the Golden Mile, Bendigo Guineas (1400m) and St Leger Trial (2200m) all lifted to $200,000 – increases of between $50,000 and $65,000 each.
Staying and 3YO Races
With the increase in minimum metropolitan Saturday prizemoney to $130,000, the remaining $5,000 premium on staying and three-year-old races will be removed next season and redistributed to a broad sphere of feature staying and three-year-old races. Those with resultant prizemoney increases are:
- The Andrew Ramsden (2800m, 3,4&5YO) – $500,000 (up $100,000)
- VRC St Leger (2800m, 3YO) – $300,000 (up $100,000)
- St Leger Trial (2200m, 3YO) – $200,000 (up $65,000)
- Geelong Classic (2200m, 3YO) – $200,000 (up $60,000)
- Galilee Series Final (2400m, 3YO) – $200,000 (up $50,000)
- Torney Night Cup (2500m, Open) - $200,000 (up $50,000)
- Bendigo Guineas (1400m, 3YO) – $200,000 (up $50,000)
- Bagot Handicap (2800m, Open) - $200,000 (up $40,000)
- Mahogany Challenge Final (2500m, 3YO) – $200,000 (up $40,000)
- Flemington Cup 1849 (2800m, Open) – $175,000 (up $25,000)
- Mornington Guineas (1500m, 3YO) – $150,000 (up $15,000)
Jumps Racing
Jumps racing will receive an additional $730,000 in prizemoney for the 2022 season commencing in March. The increases, which will be detailed under separate cover, will be spread from minimum prizemoney through to feature races in the J.J. Houlahan Jumps Championship and take the total prizemoney pool to $4.65 million.
Quotes attributable to Racing Victoria Chair, Brian Kruger
“Following the conclusion of our annual planning and budgeting process, we are delighted to announce more than $16 million in prizemoney increases for the 2021-22 racing season commencing 1 August.
“This additional investment is possible thanks to all within Victorian racing who have worked diligently to keep our sport safely going throughout the pandemic and it will most importantly help underpin 25,000 full-time equivalent jobs in our state.
“This increase is also a reward for the owners who have remained loyal to Victorian racing despite months of lockouts and restricted access that have been required to ensure that we could safely continue racing during an unprecedented period.
“In formulating our prizemoney structure our priority was to ensure that all levels of Victorian racing, from picnic meetings right up to Group 1 racedays, benefitted from an uplift in wagering returns and I’m pleased that we have been able to achieve that.
“Victoria will offer more than $280 million in prizemoney and bonuses next season, a record amount and an increase of over $100 million or 60 percent since 2015. This amazing growth has fuelled participation in Victorian racing and has underpinned jobs right across the state.
“We’re proud to offer a nation high average of prizemoney and bonuses on offer per race of $65,000 which ensures those who support Victorian racing are well rewarded and importantly there is incentive for continued investment and growth in our industry.
“It is also exciting that the 2021 Spring Racing Carnival, which runs this year to the last weekend of November with the revamped Zipping Classic Day at Caulfield, will return to more than $100 million in prizemoney and bonuses.
“The Spring Racing Carnival is our showpiece period, and we are committed to delivering high quality racing and driving investment in communities across Victoria through our many feature racedays.
“In releasing our prizemoney structure for next season, I would like to thank the metropolitan Clubs, Country Racing Victoria, the ATA, VJA, TROA and AJRA for their valuable inputs to our planning and budgeting process. Together, we look forward to another spectacular season of racing in Victoria.”
Following is a table showing the progression in minimum prizemoney levels in Victoria from the 2014-15 season through to the 2021-22 season commencing 1 August 2021:
To view an infographic regarding the 2021/22 prizemoney increases, click here.