Racing NSW has enhanced the prizemoney for the finals of next years Country Championships and Provincial Championships to $500,000.
The 2018 Country Championships series will again feature seven regional qualifying heats, each worth $150,000.
"The Country Championships excites all country participants and racegoers and is an important aspirational target for country racing," Racing NSW Chief Executive Peter V'landys said.
"The race meeting on which the heat will be conducted will be a Showcase meeting, with all other races on the program carrying a minimum of $30,000 prizemoney."
The full list of Country Championships qualifiers is as follows.
Date - 2018 |
Region |
Venue |
February 18 |
Mid North Coast |
Port Macquarie |
February 24 |
South-East |
Goulburn |
February 25 |
Central Districts |
Mudgee |
March 4 |
Southern Districts |
Wagga Wagga |
March 11 |
Northern Rivers |
Grafton |
March 18 |
Hunter & North West |
Scone |
March 25 |
Western |
Dubbo |
April 1 |
Wild Card |
Muswellbrook |
April 7 |
Final |
Royal Randwick |
The Provincial Championships series will be run on consecutive Saturday in 2018.
"This sequence of Saturdays provides the best chance for racegoers at provincial tracks to get behind the Provincial Championships in the same manner as the Country Championships," V'landys said.
The full list of Provincial Championships qualifiers is as follows.
Date |
Venue |
March 3 |
Wyong |
March 10 |
Hawkesbury |
March 17 |
Gosford |
March 24 |
Kembla Grange |
March 31 |
Newcastle |
April 14 - FINAL |
Royal Randwick |