The Moonee Valley Racing Club will launch The Valley Summer Series on Friday night, a new initiative that will feature across the remaining Ladbrokes Friday Night Lights meetings this season, with over $700,000 in prizemoney on offer over the two series of races.
The Valley Summer Sprint Series and The Valley Summer Stayers Series will comprise of a total of eleven heats across the January and February night racing program, with each series bringing together horses that will compete for a $100,000 Final on Friday March 2.
Horses who compete in these heats, which range from Benchmark 64 to Benchmark 78 races, will gain points to earn their place in the final, with heat winners ballot exempt.
“We are proud to build on the popular Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge series across our night racing program and we’re sure this series will prove a winner with punters as well as trainers and owners,” says Moonee Valley Racing Club CEO Michael Browell.
“Friday night racing at The Valley has been a platform for many progressive horses, as most recently seen with Nature Strip, and we believe a lucrative series will encourage owners to race their promising horses at The Valley on a Friday night,” Browell explained.
Launching this Friday January 26 at the Australia Stakes meeting, The Valley Summer Sprint Series will conduct six heats over distances of 1000 metres and 1200 metres, while The Valley Summer Stayers Series will see five heats over the W.S. Cox Plate distance of 2040 metres and 2500 metres.
“The two new race series will build on the excitement the Ladbrokes 55 Second Challenge has brought to night racing at The Valley. It’s fantastic we are launching both series on the 20th anniversary of night racing since its inception at The Valley in 1998,” said Greg Carpenter, Racing Victoria’s Executive General Manager – Racing.
“Both the Summer Sprint Series and the Summer Stayers Series will provide a showcase for exciting and emerging talent from both Victorian and Interstate stables. I’m really looking forward to the heats commencing this Friday and following the action through to the finals to be held on Friday, March 2,” said Carpenter.
The Valley will conduct three heats on Friday night beginning with Race 2, with the $50,000 Emerald Hotel Summer Sprint Series Heat 1 (1000m). Three previous Valley winners in Kakanui and Certain Ellie head the field with Sam’s Image sure to add intrigue, a winner on Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes night and the last horse to defeat boom sprinter Nature Strip.
The stayers line up in the $50,000 LF Sign Group Summer Series Heat 1 (2500m) is headed in the weights by dual metropolitan winner Richard of Yorke from the Chris Waller stable. Last start metropolitan winners Tuff Bickie and Rokda Kasba also bring strong form lines.
The $50,000 After The Last at Legends Summer Sprint Series Heat 2 (1200m) has attracted a capacity field and sees last start Flemington winner Annrhon and track specialist Kievann as dominant players.
Click here to view race fields for Australia Stakes Night.