The Victoria Racing Club switched the G1 Mackinnon S. and G1 Emirates S. on the G1 Melbourne Cup Carnival schedule Racing.com reported Monday. The Mackinnon S. will now be a 2000-metre weight-for-age feature worth A$2-million held on the final day of the Flemington Carnival Nov. 5. The 1600-metre original Emirates S., registered as the Cantala S., has been renamed the Longines Mile and is slated for Victoria Derby Day to kickstart the festival Oct. 29.
“To be known as the Emirates S., the race will be more attractive for top tier local and international weight-for-age horses,” explained VRC chief executive Simon Love to Racing.com. “Now spaced an ideal two weeks apart, the [G1] Cox Plate and new Emirates S. offer a lucrative combined A$5-million in prize money that will no doubt promote increased overseas participation across the spring. The VRC proposed these changes following our annual review, and they have now been approved by the Australian and Asian Pattern Committees, and agreed to by our loyal partners in Emirates and Longines for an introduction this spring. In making this announcement, we would like to acknowledge Racing Victoria for its support in achieving this outcome.”
Added Racing Victoria chief executive Bernard Saundry, “We are pleased to be able to support the VRC's ambition to enhance the coveted Melbourne Cup Carnival and deliver what will be a fantastic finale to Australian racing's biggest week. Packaged with the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, we have a great opportunity to attract more high-quality international weight-for-age horses to compete in Victoria, whilst further encouraging the connections of our home-grown stars to showcase them on multiple occasions throughout our Spring Racing Carnival.”
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