Gold Coast to push for race upgrade

The Gold Coast Turf Club is expected to push for an upgrade of its two-year-old race leading into the Magic Millions Classic.

The race is run over 1100 metres the week before the Classic and is fast becoming the best form line for the race.

Three of the past four Millions Classic winners – Le Chef, Houtzen and Sunlight – have won the race.

Gold Coast Turf Club chief executive Steve Lines said on form the race could probably have its prize money lifted in an effort to have the overall race day boosted.

“It certainly has produced the right form lines to be a bigger race. Some of the big southern stables might start looking at it as a perfect Classic lead-up,” Lines said.

Lines confirmed a meeting scheduled for the Gold Coast during the Commonwealth Games would be switched to Beaudesert racecourse.

The meeting was set down for the Gold Coast on April 7.

“We plan to put on a lot of buses for our members and public and make it a beach meets bush race day,” he said.