Race conditions for the inaugural King of the Mountain at Toowoomba have been confirmed as anticipation grows for the first running of the feature race for Queensland-bred horses.
The Toowoomba Turf Club held an official launch for the opening edition of the King of the Mountain earlier this week on the Darling Downs.
Queensland’s newest slot race will be run for $750,000 over 1200 metres at Toowoomba’s Clifford Park on Saturday, December 31, 2022.
While the new race concept was officially revealed in June, many of the conditions were not unveiled until Monday night.
The race will be contested as a Set Weights and Penalties event.
A field of 12 will assemble for the first King of the Mountain, with 10 of the 12 slots to be drawn by ballot.
The 10 slots will be drawn from a ballot of applicants run by the club, in conjunction with Racing Queensland.
An application fee will cost prospective slot holders $250.
If an applicant is one of 10 drawn in the ballot, a slot in the race will cost $40,000, and they will have that slot for the next three years.
According to Toowoomba Turf Club chairman Kent Woodford, there has already been plenty of interest in slots.
“There were certainly some packs given out to prospective slot holders at the launch and people paid their registration fee,” Woodford said.
“Interest in the race has been amazing, both from those wanting to be slot holders and sponsors of the event.”
The winner of the inaugural King of the Mountain will also receive a wild card spot for the Magic Millions QTIS on the Gold Coast on Magic Millions day.
King of the Mountain subcommittee chair Paul Reedy says the position in the Magic Millions QTIS race is an exciting addition to the race.
“There is a few other bonuses, thanks to Racing Queensland, there will be a breeders and trainers bonus,” Reedy said.
“They are a $20,000 QTIS sales voucher or $10,000 cash.
“The winner of the King of the Mountain will receive a wild card entry into the $1 million Magic Millions QTIS race on Magic Millions day.”
Woodford credited Reedy’s efforts for locking in the new initiative with the Magic Millions.
“It will certainly fit into the program of summer racing and is a wild card into the Magic Millions race,” Woodford told The Toowoomba Chronicle.
“The wild card is a big coup and full credit to Paul Reedy and Catherine Kirkwood for pulling all this together.”
With 10 slots to be drawn out of a ballot, the remaining two positions will be distributed separately.
One will be retained by the club for community engagement, potentially looking to run an owner-for-a-day concept.
While the other will be auctioned by the club, in conjunction with Racing Queensland.
Ballot applications close on September 1 with the official ballot for the first edition of the race on October 7.
Also clarified at the launch event, interstate-based trainers with satellite stables in Queensland will not be permitted to start a horse in the King of the Mountain.
The race will be restricted to Queensland-bred horses that are prepared by a trainer based in the Sunshine State.
More information on the race can be found on its dedicated website: www.kingofthemountainhorserace.com.au