The Birdsville Race Club and TAB today announce a partnership that sees TAB (formerly UBET) sign on as the naming rights sponsor of the headline 2019 Birdsville Cup, following UBET’s inaugural sponsorship of the race in 2018.
The deal follows an announcement from Racing Queensland earlier this year to expand QLD’s country TAB offerings, which now sees the 2019 Birdsville Races set to become a fully funded country TAB meet for the first time in the event’s 137-year history.
On the back of these arrangements, overall prizemoney for the carnival’s 13-race program increases to a record $233,500 – up 14 per cent from the total prize-purse in 2018.
This year, for the first time, prizemoney will also be awarded to top-10 finishers across all the carnival’s 13 races.
The TAB Birdsville Cup will once again award a record-equalling $40,000, while total prizemoney for the carnival’s feature sprint – the Road Tech Marine 1200m Open Handicap – will increase to $25,000.
In addition to prizemoney increases, the partnership means that TAB will be onsite at the Races to look after punters’ betting needs – and that punters will be able to enjoy a bet on any of the carnival’s 13 races at nationwide TAB outlets or online.
Punters across Australia will also be able to experience the excitement of the ‘Melbourne Cup of the Outback’ from the comfort of their own homes, thanks to a renewed national telecast deal between the Birdsville Races and Sky Racing.
The partnership will see the carnival’s full 13-race line-up televised into homes nationally via Sky Racing.
“We are thrilled to have TAB on board as the naming rights sponsor of the 2019 Birdsville Cup and Sky Racing as our national telecast partner,” said Birdsville Race Club Vice President, Gary Brook.
“We have built upon both partnerships from 2018 – and the combined resources of both TAB and Sky Racing give us the backing needed to expand the footprint of the Races – and to elevate the event offering for jockeys, trainers and punters nationwide – whether it’s on ground at the racetrack, in a TAB in a city or regional area, or at home.
“Distance and location are no longer barriers to being able to watch and bet on ‘The Melbourne Cup of the Outback’,” Mr Brook added.
“TAB is delighted to support the iconic Birdsville Cup for 2019. Our business is closely linked to Australian communities and we’re so pleased this year’s Birdsville races is a fully funded country TAB meeting. Tabcorp’s businesses are the biggest financial supporters of racing in Australia, last financial year we returned $1 billion to the Australian racing industry” Tabcorp Head of Wagering, Sean Scott said.
“Those not able to make the pilgrimage to Birdsville will be able to catch all the racing action on Sky Racing,” Mr Scott added.
With just over two weeks to go until the iconic Birdsville Races on September 6 & 7, 2019, event organisers are preparing to welcome an influx of more than 7,000 intrepid travellers to the tiny township of Birdsville on the edge of Queensland’s Simpson Desert for a bumper two-day program of thoroughbred horseracing, and unique Outback entertainment and activities.
The Birdsville Races is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar, worth $800m to the state’s economy in 2019.
As part of Tourism and Events Queensland’s Year of Outback Tourism, the bucket-list experience attracts visitors to Outback Queensland from the beginning of August, who set up camp early to enjoy the region’s yabby races, street parties and various other events that lead into the big Friday and Saturday race days.
Nominations for the 2019 Birdsville Races are set to close on Tuesday, 27 August 2019.
