Swifties ridden by Damian Lane wins the Tim Miller Electrical Maiden Plate at Bendigo Racecourse on October 06, 2024 in Bendigo, Australia. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)
Owners will get the chance to share in a lucrative new $1 million series for maidens when the Emerging Stars kicks off in country Victoria later this month.
The series of feature maiden races, to be conducted in the state’s west from October to December this year, serves to complement the Sportsbet Future Stars Series held in the state’s south-east in January to March 2025.
It will feature 10 maidens worth $75,000 each at Ballarat, Geelong and Warrnambool throughout spring, with the winners qualifying for the $250,000 The Emerging Star (1400m) on Ballarat Cup Day – Saturday, 7 December 2024.
The races will be open to three, four and five-year-old maiden gallopers and be conducted over 1200m to 1400m with the first two heats to be run at Sportsbet-Ballarat on Thursday, 24 October 2024.
Following is the schedule of races for the inaugural 2024 Emerging Stars series:
|
Heat
|
Date
|
Venue
|
Race
|
|
1
|
Thursday 24 October
|
Ballarat
|
1200m 3YO C&G
|
|
2
|
Thursday 24 October
|
Ballarat
|
1200m 3YO Fillies
|
|
3
|
Thursday 31 October
|
Warrnambool
|
1400m 3YO
|
|
4
|
Thursday 31 October
|
Warrnambool
|
1200m 3,4&5YO
|
|
5
|
Monday 4 November
|
Ballarat
|
1400m 3,4&5YO
|
|
6
|
Thursday 14 November
|
Ballarat
|
1400m 3YO
|
|
7
|
Thursday 14 November
|
Ballarat
|
1400m 4&5YO
|
|
8
|
Sunday 17 November
|
Geelong
|
1200m 3YO C&G
|
|
9
|
Sunday 17 November
|
Geelong
|
1200m 3YO Fillies
|
|
10
|
Wednesday 27 November
|
Geelong
|
1300m 3,4&5YO
|
|
Final
|
Saturday 7 December
|
Ballarat
|
Class 3 1400m 3,4&5YO
|
In addition to the Emerging Stars Series, owners also have the chance to share in increased prizemoney via new Premier Maidens which began on Sunday, 6 October.
The Premier Maiden races are programmed each Sunday in country Victoria across a range of distances and carry prizemoney of $50,000 - $23,000 (85%) more than standard country maidens.
The inaugural Premier Maiden winner was the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained three-year-old filly Swifties which netted her owners Fern Vale Farm $27,000 prizemoney for her debut victory.
Throughout the remainder of October, $50,000 Premier Maidens are programmed in all corners of the state at Seymour (1600m, 13 October), Horsham (1400m, 20 October) and Sale (3YO 1400m, 27 October).