The stars of the Queensland Constellations will shine brighter than ever, with Sky Thoroughbred Central set to provide showcase coverage of the carnival’s feature races this month.
The Constellations’ three premier harness meetings at Albion Park will be broadcast on STC throughout July, including features The Great Square, The Rising Sun, Sunshine Sprint, The Hayden and Blacks A Fake.
The showcase coverage will start at 7pm over each of the next three Saturday evenings, featuring a number of the code’s top analysts including Brittany Graham, Ryan Phelan, Greg O’Connor and Gerard Daffy.
The broadcast gets underway this Saturday, July 8 with a huge night of racing, including the $350,000 Group 1 AQWA Constructions The Rising Sun.
With $350,000 up for grabs, and an additional $100,000 bonus for a three-year-old winner, all eyes will be on reigning Queensland Harness Racing Horse of the Year in Leap To Fame as he looks to add another Group 1 to his bulging resume.
The same night, the brand-new Group 1 trotting feature the Haras des Trotteurs The Great Square, will see the best three-and four-year-olds battle it out for $150,000 – again with a $25,000 bonus on offer if a three-year-old claims victory.
A week later on July 15, The Creek will play host to the inaugural running of $231,000 The Hayden, with a golden ticket into the world’s richest harness race, the TAB Eureka, up for grabs.
The time-honoured $200,000 Group 1 Garrards Sunshine Sprint will take place on the same evening.
Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott said the agreement to broadcast the Constellations to a wider audience via STC was important recognition for the harness code in Queensland.
“In just its third year, the Constellations has rapidly become one of the nation’s premier carnivals and continues to attract the biggest stars in Australasia looking to take advantage of Queensland’s sun and fun,” Scott said.
“The harness code continues to enjoy exponential growth in the Sunshine State, providing incredible racing and strong turnover, with blockbuster fields assembled for this month’s features.
“With over $3 million in prize money on offer, we are looking forward to showcasing the state’s pacing and trotting ranks to a wider audience across the nation.”
Finally, the Queensland Constellations culminates on Saturday, July 22 when the Group 1 Queensland Derby and Queensland Oaks will be run for $150,000 each.
The jewel in the crown of the Constellations in Queensland’s annual Grand Circuit event, the Ladbrokes Blacks A Fake, with the Group 1 race to be run for a mammoth $400,000 off the back of a $50,000 increase this year.
Click here for more information on the Queensland Constellations.