Racing Queensland has announced a new ‘Country Cups Challenge’, complete with a $70,000 metropolitan final on one of the Summer Racing Carnival’s most popular days.
Set for Group 3 George Moore Stakes Day at Doomben (1 December 2018) the Country Cups Challenge will bring together the winners of 16 Country Cups held across Queensland between September and November.
“I welcome this new series as it provides Racing Queensland with another fabulous opportunity to showcase our regional participants, who are among the country’s most talented and hard-working, to a nationwide audience,” Racing Queensland’s General Manager of Racing Simon Stout said.
“While the Battle of the Bush put the spotlight on some of the bush’s most hardened sprinters, the Country Cups Challenge will act as a ‘Grand Final’ for Queensland’s country cups circuit.”
The series in full comprises of the following qualifiers:
| DATE | CLUB | REGION | RACE |
| 22/09/2018 | Longreach JC | CW | Longreach Cup Open Hcp 1600m |
| 29/09/2018 | Ewan ATC | LE | Ewan Cup Class 6 Hcp 1600m |
| 6/10/2018 | Mount Isa RC | NW | Spring Cup Open Hcp 1450m |
| 6/10/2018 | Tara RC | ED | Tara Cup Open Hcp 1400m |
| 13/10/2018 | Bowen TC | LE | Bowen Battlers Cup Open Hcp 1470m |
| 13/10/2018 | Cloncurry & DRC | NW | Cloncurry Cup Open Hcp 1400m |
| 13/10/2018 | Emerald JC | CA | Emerald 100 Open Hcp 1850m |
| 20/10/2018 | Barcoo ARC | CW | Blackall Cup Open Plate 1400m |
| 20/10/2018 | Innisfail TC | FN | Innisfail Cup Open Hcp 2000m |
| 20/10/2018 | Stanthorpe JC | ED | Stanthorpe Cup Open Hcp 1400m |
| 27/10/2018 | Gympie TC | SE | Gympie Cup Open Hcp 1600m |
| 3/11/2018 | Yeppoon TC | CA | Yeppoon Newmarket Open Hcp 1400m |
| 6/11/2018 | Cairns JC | FN | Cairns City Cup Open Hcp 1400m |
| 6/11/2018 | Central Warrego RC | DO | Charleville Cup Open Hcp 1620m |
| 6/11/2018 | Kumbia RC | SE | Kumbia Cup Open Hcp 1400m |
| 17/11/2018 | Roma TC | DO | Roma Cup Open Hcp 1640m |
| 1/12/2018 | $70,000 FINAL – Brisbane RC @ Doomben |
Rest 0MWL2Y Quality Hcp 1600m |
