TABCORP AUSTRALASIAN BREEDERS CROWN BEGINS
The 2010 Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown has commenced with the first heats of this year’s series run at the Rangiora meeting at Addington on Tuesday, June 15.
(The first heat resulted in a ‘walk-over’ win for the Mark Jones-trained Commander Jewel as the only acceptor in the $5000 2YO Trot Heat. The daughter of CR Commando and In De Fence, raced by “Jim” McDonald, credited stable employee Richard Lee with his first official driving win. The 2nd $5000 heat for 3YO trotters was won by the Gerard O’Reilly-trained Endeavour Sunset by 9 lengths over Ali B)
The 2 and 3YO trotting qualifiers were the first of around 85 Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown races to be run throughout Australia and New Zealand between now and Sunday, August 22.
That’s when the $1.56 million raceday, featuring nine Group 1 finals, will be run at Melton’s Tabcorp Park.
Harness Racing Victoria chief executive John Anderson said Tuesday’s commencement was the start of a 10-week build-up to one of the biggest days in Australian harness racing.
“The Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown has become one of the great series in harness racing and the launch of a new series is always an exciting time,” Anderson said.
“It gives Breeders Crown-eligible horses of all gaits and ages their shot at some of the most lucrative purses in harness racing and there will be no shortage of action over the next couple of months.”
Following Tuesday’s heats, the series moves to Auckland next Tuesday where the North Island’s 2 and 3YO trotters have a shot at booking a trip across the Tasman.
Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown action reaches Australian shores on Friday, June 25 when both the 3YO fillies and the colts and geldings get their chance to impress at Adelaide’s Globe Derby.
Heats continue at Brisbane’s Albion Park, Pinjarra in Western Australia, Hobart and Launceston in Tasmania and western Sydney’s Menangle before the host state gets its first taste of action for 2010.
The initial Victorian heats will be for 2YO fillies at Shepparton on July 26 with action continuing at Kilmore, Bendigo, Ballarat, Maryborough and Geelong over the following eight days.
Action hots up on Friday night, August 13 when the 2 and 3YO semi finals launch a massive nine days of finals action and associated activities.
Four-year-old heats will be run at a twilight fixture on Sunday, August 15 before attention turns to the inaugural Breeders Crown Golf Day at Eynesbury on Wednesday, August 18.
The next morning will see another first, Breakfast With The Stars at Tabcorp Park, while the Breeders Crown Gala Preview Dinner will be held in conjunction with the consolation finals on Friday night, August 20.
Anderson said the addition of a social calendar would enhance the Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown’s chances of being considered the premier event on the Australian harness calendar.
“It has long been the plan to increase the social standing of the Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown and that will happen with the introduction of a social calendar for this year’s series,” he said.
“It adds another dimension to what has already become one of the great harness racing carnivals.”
Full details on the Tabcorp Australasian Breeders Crown social calendar and a full race schedule for this year’s series is available at www.breederscrown.com.au
Courtesy of Brad Bishop, HRV Media Manager