MANIKATO STAKES CASH BOOST

Manikato Stakes to receive cash boost

The Group One Manikato Stakes is set to be the next race to have a facelift on the Victorian racing calendar.

The Everest currently sits a week prior on the racing calendar to the Manikato Stakes making it difficult for the Melbourne Racing community to attract the country's best sprinters with many trainers focusing on the major prize available in Sydney.

RV have been looking for ways to bolster the Cox Plate weekend and have moved to increase the Manikato Prize money up to $2m.

There seems to be big plans in the pipeline for the RV sprint races with General Manager of Racing Greg Carpenter saying additional bonuses could be added if the prize money was awarded for a series of races including the Darley Classic.

 “What we are doing today by doubling the prizemoney for that race – and there may be other announcements around bonuses that might support the Manikato – is having a real red-hot go at giving that race as much chance to continue to succeed as we can,” Carpenter said.

The Manikato has the chance to prove a valid option for Australian sprinters given the associated costs in the Everest. With the $600,000 cost of slot purchase in The Everest as well as only staying in a positive financial position if you finish in the first 5.

The Valley’s Cox Plate carnival was also boosted by a $200,000 increase for the Group 2 Drummond Golf Vase on Cox Plate Day.

Other races to receive a cash injection see the juvenile races getting a financial boost with the Caulfield Guineas jumping from $1m to $3m while the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes will rise from $500,000 to $2m, matching the prizemoney for the Victoria Derby, which is run at Flemington on the same day

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