Racing NSW has expanded the Provincial Championships to allow some city-trained horses to compete in the rich race series in 2022.
It’s now called the Provincial-Midway Championships with prizemoney totalling $1.55 million – a $300,000 increase on the original Provincial Championships series.
The Provincial-Midway Championships series will now feature seven $150,000 qualifying races leading to the $500,000 Final at Royal Randwick on day two of The Championships on Saturday, April 9.
The qualifying races will consist of three races for Provincial-trained horses only, with first and second placegetters qualifying for the final.
There will also be three races for Provincial-trained and Midway eligible horses, with first and second placegetters qualifying for the Final.
Like the Country Championships series, there will be one Wildcard race open to horses that had competed in one of the qualifying races, with the first three placegetters qualifying for the Final.
The qualifying races will continue to be Class 5 races with runners having had a maximum of 20 starts prior to the race.
“This expansion of the Provincial Championships builds on the recent success of the Midway concept and provides even more opportunities for owners to earn prizemoney and compete at The star Championships at Royal Randwick,” said Racing NSW Chief Executive Peter V’landys said.
The first one kicks off on Thursday, February 24 at Newcastle and it’s for Provincial and Midway horses to compete in.
The series will revitalise the old Provincial Championships which hadn’t had the same following as the Country Championships, mainly because of the dominance of a couple of trainers including Kris Lees who had six horses in last year’s final.
Now the likes of Lees and Kim Waugh will have to take on stables like David Payne, Jason Coyle, John Sargent, Matthew Smith and Annabel Neasham.
It will make it a much more competitive series with different formlines and give smaller city trainers the chance to share a slice of the pie at The Championships.