In terms of being proactive and endorsing new initiatives, Racing New South Wales has dominated the national racing scene in recent years. As well as the high profile new ‘races’ it has instigated with great success, the bread and butter benefits which have brought in on a regular have been made across the board for all racing participants.
While always looking after their stakeholders, it should always be remembered how much racing contributes to the state coffers, and therefore indirectly to the community at large, via taxation payments … a fact which many fail to realise, or like to forget if it doesn’t suit their anti-racing narrative.
Further evidence that racing is not a supposed game put on for the benefit ‘rich kids’, is on show to racing’s credit on Saturday with the running of the $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill where ten percent of all prize-money for the race has been earmarked to go to charities selected by the connections of each of the eighteen runners.
In case you missed it … that’s ten precent of $7.5 million!
The individual charity payouts will be made in accordance with the position each horse representing a charity finishes and the stake-money earned for the run.
The charities who will receive a financial boost from this enterprise (with the names of the horses representing them):
LIVING LEGENDS (Alligator Blood), EB RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP AUSTRALIA (Brandenburg), CHANNEL 7 TELETHON TRUST (Superstorm), THE CHILDREN’S CANCER INSTITUTE (Dawn Passage), NATIONAL JOCKEY TRUST (Riodini), THE AUSTRALIAN ALZHEIMER’S RESEARCH FOUNDATION (Windstorm), SYDNEY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (Reloaded), RIDING FOR THE DISABLED (Just Thinkin’), HUMPTY DUMPTY FOUNDATION (Bottega), RURAL AID (Criaderas), RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE (Flit), RED KITE (Funstar), TEAM TYE FOUNDATION (Colette), YOUNGCARE (Subpoenaed), SMITH FAMILY FOUNDATION (Emeralds), THE RICKY STUART FOUNDATION (Sierra Sue), GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE (All Saints’s Eve), MARK HUGHES FOUNDATION (Icebath).
While the charity whose horse wins will be the big winner with $410 000 coming their way … there are absolutely no losers here.
Racing is doing itself proud.
