SCONE Race Club’s decision to “spread the prizemoney around” appears to have hit the right post-Christmas cheer.
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Last year the club received 117 nominations for its Saturday meeting smack bang in the middle of Christmas and New Year.
Yesterday it received almost 150 for the corresponding meeting.
It was a huge increase and one which almost floored chief executive officer Sarah Wills.
“It’s enormous,” Wills said of the 146-strong nomination list.
One reason could be the fact the club has been able to spread extra prizemoney around four races and not the one it did last year.
“Last year we had one main race worth $35,000,” Wills said.
“This year we’ve spread it around four races and made them worth $20,000 each.
“We believe we get more benefit from that.”
Judging by the figures, she’s right, as the four $20,000 races enticed 85 nominations between them.
If the club can find some more nominations for the 2YO event, which was extended until 11am Monday after receiving just 11 nominations, then it will break the 150 mark, a fine effort for a non-cup meeting in such a busy period.
While the nominations were huge, the spread of trainers was also up.
The likes of Peter Moody, Steve Farley, Kris Lees and Paul Perry all nominated horses.
Newcastle trainers Perry and Lees entered at least 15 between them.
Scone’s Paul Messara is represented as is Kim Waugh, Sue Grills and local trainers Luke Griffith, Rod Northam and Greg Bennett.
Griffith, the reigning HNWRA trainer and currently leading this season’s premiership, has at least 10 runners including last-start winners Run Legless and Tarzan Toby.
Run Legless was successful at Narromine on Monday, winning the Allan Lloyd Memorial Cup.
Bennett is also coming off some recent successes with Piamimi and Traffic.
He is also represented at Tamworth on Tuesday where he will not only have runners but pick up the Tamworth Jockey Club’s trainers’ premiership for last season.
SCONE B65NOMS
* Benchmark ratings listed where available.
Annonay (Paul Perry) 59, Another Dream (Jason Deamer) 62, Beauzel (Sue Grills) 57, Boulevard Baron (Adam Duggan) 61, Certifiable (Kris Lees) 66, Cool Ice (Peter Nestor) 59, Dettori (Darren Smith) 58, Fragmento (Kim Waugh) 61, Hadeed (Rodney Ollerton) 60, I Love Legs (Luke Griffith) 66, Jack’s Song (Bob Holloway) 66, L’Academie De Joie (Gabrielle Englebrecht) 66, Madison County (Rodney Northam) 55, Mystery Flight (Bill Farrow) 61, Perfect Scout (Kris Lees) 65, Rod’s Bid (Peter H Bloomfield) 62, Rossarita (Greg Bennett) 56, Roeiner (Paul Messara) 62, Spellbinding (Robert Davies) 66, Sugera (Luke Griffith) 66.
