By now you should have heard the news that Gosford Race Club will host its inaugural standalone meeting on Saturday 9 May. Now you have an even bigger reason to secure your tickets to this history making event, with the introduction of the $500,000 ‘The Coast’, bringing the total prize pool for the event to a whopping $1.6 million dollars!
Racing NSW, the State’s governing body, has thrown its considerable weight behind the day – similar to the inaugural ‘The Hunter’ and ‘The Gong’ standalones at Newcastle and Kembla Grange respectively late last year – by putting the new $500,000 race on the program.
‘The Coast’ will be run as a 1600m handicap for three and four-year-olds. Pair that with the $250,000 Gosford Gold Cup and $150,000 Takeover Target Stakes, both carrying Listed status, along with five supporting races of $125,000 each and a $75,000 TAB Highway (a 1200m Class 3 Handicap for NSW country and ACT-trained horses), and you have a quality nine-race program that is bound to attract trainers and owners from far and wide.
Michael Cusick Gosford Race Club Chairman stated ‘The Coast’ is a race specifically for The Central Coast. It will be an event that the whole region can get behind. It would be remiss of me not to thank Peter V’Landys (Racing NSW CEO) for giving us this opportunity and for us to not only raise the profile of racing on the coast but to raise the profile of the whole region.’
Gosford Race Club CEO Daniel Lacey cannot stress the importance of this historic event enough –
“From a racing viewpoint, it’s pretty big. But it is much more than that.
Tamworth is famous for its Country Music Festival and Parkes for its Elvis Festival. With the right support, we have an opportunity to create an annual event for the Central Coast region.
The Central Coast, of course, is great for tourism and now there is the chance to develop our raceday into an annual event which becomes synonymous with the area.
We’re very appreciative of Racing NSW granting a standalone Saturday and in turn, offering a half a million-dollar race. It’s up to all of us to grab the opportunity with open arms and run with it.
There will be economic benefit felt throughout the coast in the lead up for this event. Hotels, restaurants, cafés, fashion retailers will all get a boost.”
Leaving no stone unturned, The Entertainment Grounds will do everything in its power to ensure the inaugural standalone is a raging success. There will be two new experiences on track; the ‘Skyline’ marquee, elevated to provide a bird’s eye view of the track and an infield ‘Gold Rush’ festival featuring everything from pop-up bars & food trucks to a surprise DJ act performing on top of a two-story container. The event is sure to have something for everyone.
Pre-sale tickets and hospitality packages are available online now. You can also book your free shuttle bus transport from various locations across the Central Coast. Spots are limited so register your interest today – www.theentertainmentgrounds.com.au