Huge race day for Sunshine Coast

The Sunshine Coast will host its biggest race day during the winter carnival with seven black-type races including its first Group two event.

Racing Queensland has been holding talks with trainers, race club officials and owners about changes to the carnival with the central issue where the Group One Queensland Oaks and Group Two Sires’ Produce Stakes would be held.

There was a strong push to have the Oaks and Sires’ at the Sunshine Coast because they could be run at the their traditional distances of 2400m and 1400m.

Instead they will be run a week earlier than normal at Doomben over 2200m and 1350m.

The changes have again been made because for the third time in four years Eagle Farm will not be available.

The track is again undergoing work and will not be reopened until after the winter carnival and possibly not until late in the year.

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It means Doomben could not carry the full load of the winter carnival but it will still host five feature race days..

The Oaks will be run along with the Group One Kingsford Smith Cup at Doomben on May 26 while the Stradbroke Handicap, Queensland Derby and J J Atkins Stakes will also be at Doomben on June 9.

The Sunshine Coast will have the Group Two Moreton Cup, Group Two P J O’Shea Stakes and five other black type races on June 2 making it the biggest race day since it opened in 1985.

The club’s traditional Ladies Oaks Day will be run on Friday, June 1.

The winter carnival start at the Toowoomba Turf Club’s Weetwood meeting on April 7 and ends with the Caloundra Cup meeting on June 30.

In all there will be 63 black type run with prize money of $15 million on offer.