The Queensland Constellations is set to shine brightly in 2023 with a raft of prize money increases headlined by the Group 1 The Rising Sun.
Staged on Saturday, July 8, the Rising Sun will rise from $300,000 to $350,000, with an additional $100,000 bonus for a three-year-old winner once again on offer.
For the first time, Racing Queensland and the Albion Park Harness Racing Club will issue three four-year-old invites, in addition to the two three-year-old invites, with the winner of the Queensland Sun also progressing through to The Rising Sun.
As announced late last year, Queensland’s premier Group 1 feature, the Ladbrokes Blacks A Fake, will swell to $400,000 in prize money, while at the same time, the Group 1 Garrard’s Sunshine Sprint will remain a crucial lead up to the Grand Circuit event, increasing to $200,000.
In addition, the Queensland Derby and Queensland Oaks will now be run for $150,000 each, while the Redcliffe Derby and Redcliffe Oaks will become Group 3 races with $50,000 up for grabs in each race.
Open class mares will also be given the chance to shine, with a string of features throughout the Constellations including the $50,000 Fleur De Lil and the $150,000 Group 1 The Golden Girl.
Finally, the Group 3 4YO Championship and The Rising Sun Consolation will be run for $50,000 apiece.
RQ EGM Operations Adam Wallish said the prize money increases would ensure that Queensland remains the place to race in June and July.
“The Queensland Constellations is our flagship harness racing carnival, and we’re excited to see it now in its third iteration go to another level in 2023,” Mr Wallish said.
“Prize money for the code has doubled since FY18, now reaching close to $32 million per annum, and these increases will ensure that the carnival attracts some of Australasia’s best pacers and trotters to the Sunshine State.
“Looking ahead, the code has so much to look forward to with the world-class Queensland Harness Centre to be built at Norwell, alongside the return of the Inter Dominion in December.”
The Hayden will play a headlining role in this year’s Constellations, serving as RQ’s qualifying race for the inaugural $2.1 million The TAB Eureka at Club Menangle on September 2, 2023.
The innovative slot race will be run exclusively for three and four-year-old QBRED horses over 2138 metres at Albion Park, forming a part of RQ’s NAIDOC celebrations, and playing a small but critical role in the Queensland racing industry’s journey towards reconciliation.
The partnership with ‘The Hayden Way’ will generate funds for Shoreline, which has provided education and employment opportunities for Indigenous students since 2009.
APHRC Chair Brad Steele said continual innovations and enhancements has generated more appeal than ever for the Queensland Constellations.
“The Creek and RQ are constantly working together to drive innovation in Queensland harness racing,” Mr Steele said.
“There is no doubt our 2023 Queensland Constellations, headlined by the Ladbrokes Blacks A Fake, has raised the bar yet again.
“It is now regarded by most as the premier winter racing carnival in the Australasian harness industry.”
Last month, it was announced that a new Group 1 trotting feature for three and four-year-olds, The Great Square, would form part of this year’s Constellations, held at Albion Park on Saturday, July 8.
With support from sponsor Haras de Trotteurs, the race will now be run for $150,000 plus a $25,000 bonus should a 3YO win the race.
In addition, the three-year-old trotters will also get their opportunity to shine, with a pair of Group 3 events introduced in the form of the Queensland Derby and Queensland Oaks – both worth $30,000.
Added investment in the square gait has been a key focus on the back of a growth strategy implemented in 2018 to increase the breeding and racing of trotters across the state.
Since FY18, the number of trotting races in Queensland has increased by close to 20%, with total prize money surging by over 100%.
Staged from June 16 to July 22 at Albion Park, Redcliffe and Marburg, more than $3 million in prize money and bonuses will go on the line throughout the Constellations, including eight Group 1s and 20 feature races in total.
Click here to see the full program for the 2023 Queensland Constellations.