Bonus battles continue at Doomben

Multiple Group One winners Jim Byrne and Corey Brown will continue their battle at Doomben to win a $50,000 bonus as leading riders of the Queensland summer carnival.

Racing Queensland has offered $50,000 each for the leading jockey and trainer on the Summer Crown races which end on Magic Millions day, January 13.

On Saturday at Doomben, the contest will cover the B J McLachlan, the Buffering Quality and the Vo Rogue Plate.

Sydney based Brown leads Brisbane’s Byrne 17-16 with Damian Browne on 15 and Matt McGilivray on 12.

In the trainers’ battle, Tony Gollan has opened a four point lead over arch rival Toby Edmonds to lead 18-14 with the Snowden training partnership on 12.

RQ chief executive Eliot Forbes said the bonus offers for jockeys and trainers was part of an overall bonus system for the summer carnival.

“We have attracted the Gai Waterhosue-Adrian Bott team, the Peter and Paul Snowden partnership, Darren Weir, Chris Waller, Tony McEvoy and James Cummings among the trainers with jockeys Corey Brown, Damian Lane and Jamie Kah also here on Saturday,” Forbes said.

“Increasing the Bernborough Handicap stakes to $300,000, and programming the carnival to provide an ideal platform leading into next month’s $10 million Magic Millions Day ensured Queensland was Australia’s racing hot-spot during the holiday period.”

He said early wagering results for the carnival had been pleasing.

“Lough Neagh Stakes day two weeks ago achieved an average turnover increase of 43 per cent compared to the same meeting in 2016,” Forbes said.

“It follows a 7.1 per cent increase on total turnover during the 2016 carnival for the same period a year prior, and an increase of 22.4 per cent in average turnover per race.”

Forbes said he also looked forward to the sprinters and the three-year-olds chasing $900,000 in UBET-sponsored Summer Crown bonuses on Saturday.

Queensland-trained Whypeeo and Sydney colt Pierata are still live chances to claim the $500,000 3YO Summer Crown bonus, if either can win the $200,000 Group Three Vo Rogue Plate (1350m).

Last year’s Summer Sprint Crown winner, Most Important, and four-time stakes-winning sprinter Monsieur Gustave head into the third leg of the $400,000 Summer Sprint Crown with one win each.