Massive Golden Eagle prizemoney increase a misfire for Racing NSW

There has never been a better to own a horse at the top levels of Australian racing, but the kneejerk move by Racing NSW last week to lift the Golden Eagle to $10 million borders on grotesque.

The regulator has made a commitment to return the fees from betting on the spring races to where the bets originated, but surely Racing NSW should be trying to help all levels of the industry, not just the elite.

The decision to put the Golden Eagle up another $2 million was made because an announcement about prizemoney was due from Victoria the next day, Racing NSW shouldn’t be so insecure.

What is clear from Racing NSW’s extended carnival is that spring is racing season. The Everest and the Golden Eagle in their short history have become the biggest betting races in the state and the form stacks up from them.

It is when punters want to engage with the sport, just as State Of Origin is the time when the regular public engages with rugby league. But NSW and Queensland players don’t earn massive fees for those matches.

The money is spread around the game to grow it and secure the future. Racing NSW has lifted most levels of prizemoney from July, but not to the level of the Golden Eagle.

Punters, who supply the funds for prizemoney through race fields, point of consumption tax and the TAB distribution, are the forgotten ones at the moment.

Winning punters find it increasingly hard to get a bet on.

Racing NSW should be looking to help bigger punters with a raise in minimum bet level and some sort of guarantee they can get on, or risk watching funding levels drop in the future.

Meanwhile, Victoria, which has the biggest race fields fees in the country, is set to establish another tier for races worth more than $5 million. What is ridiculous about this new level is there would have only been one race that fell into that category in recent years, such is the prizemoney gap between the big states.

The move to have a Champions Day at end of the Flemington carnival is a good one, and will allow Golden Eagle horses to back up in either the Mackinnon Stakes or Champions Mile (formerly the Cantala), while Everest horses will run in the VRC Sprint, all for $3 million.

It is a nod to what is working in NSW, but there needs to be more of this to make a national program work.

The forgotten part of Racing NSW’s push to the spring is the Championships brand, which was so successful in autumn.

Surely the Doncaster, TJ Smith and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, which crown the best Australian horses of the season, should be run to $5 million, making them the equal of their Melbourne counterparts.

McDonald believes Nature Strip the one to beat at Royal Ascot

James McDonald jetted out to England on Saturday night with his customary confidence about the chances of Australian winners at Royal Ascot.

Home Affairs will give him a chance to meet Queen Elizabeth, who traditionally gives the trophy for what is known as the Platinum Jubilee this year, but there is a more special bond with Nature Strip, who runs in Tuesday’s Kings Stand.

“They have both reportedly got over there and settled in really well and if they bring their best form, we are a big chance,” McDonald said.

The 30-year-old has ridden many champions in his career but at the top of the list are Verry Elleegant, Nature Strip and It’s A Dundeel. He has won 10 races on It’s A Dundeel and Nature Strip, who could join Verry Elleegant at the top of list on 11 at Royal Ascot.

“It is hard to split those horses, but there is something about Nature Strip that is pretty special to me,” McDonald said. “He is in the right race over there and there is only one eight-time group 1 winner and Everest winner in the race. We are the one they are all thinking they need to beat.”

McDonald and fiancee Katelyn Mallyon announced they were expecting their first child, a baby girl, on Saturday.

Alligator Blood heads to Melbourne

Stradbroke winner Alligator Blood will not be seen back in Sydney with the 1400m and mile program in Melbourne too tempting.

Managing owner Allan Endresz will leave the spring program of races to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott but he doesn’t need the dramas associated with racing in NSW, where he is banned from owning horses.

“I can get the bankruptcy ruling overturned when I want to and then Alligator Blood will be able to race in NSW,” Endresz said.

“But he will just go to Melbourne after a spell because there are good races for him and I would like to see him in the Cox Plate.”

Waterhouse said the five-year-old will head for a spell before continuing his rejuvenated career down south.

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Jones closes the gap on Schiller in the apprentice title chase

Reece Jones has closed to within eight wins of Sydney’s leading apprentice Tyler Schiller after a four-timer at Randwick on Saturday, but might run out of time to reign him in.

Jones recently moved to Sydney under the care of John O’Shea, who supplied Waihaha Falls and Comme Bella Fille to start Jones’ big day with Cliff’s Art and Jojo Was A Man finishing the afternoon.

“We have set a big goal of trying to win the premiership and Saturday helps,” O’Shea said. “But everything is going to have to go right.

“We have him on Jal Lei at Warwick Farm on Monday and hopefully that gets another one back.”

Apprentices rode seven of the 10 winners at Randwick on Saturday with Dylan Gibbons also riding a double.

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