The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast will host a new eight-meeting night racing series from Friday 13 November, with bonuses of up to $20,000 a race for horses that beat a benchmark time.
The “Summer Scorcher” series will run under lights at Aquis Park on the Gold Coast and Corbould Park on the Sunshine Coast with boosted prizemoney, Racenet reported on Friday morning.
Racing Queensland chairman Matt McGrath said the series would build on the popularity of night racing in the state.
“Night racing has already proven to be incredibly popular with fans, industry participants and clubs, and the new Summer Scorcher Series allows us to build on that momentum with stronger prizemoney and fan engagement at our tracks,” McGrath said.
“Racing under lights opens up new opportunities to engage audiences, attract new fans and showcase our sport in a different way, and make the most of the warmer months in the Sunshine State.
“By introducing benchmark time bonuses, we are also encouraging faster, competitive racing and providing owners, trainers and jockeys with additional opportunities to earn significant prizemoney during the summer period.”
What’s on offer
According to Racenet, standard races on the designated night programs will be worth $33,000 to $35,000, with one feature race on every card lifted to $40,000. Horses that run faster than the set benchmark time at either track can earn a bonus of up to $20,000 per race.
Key dates
- Friday 13 November: The Summer Scorcher series starts
- Friday 20 November: Silks Under the Stars on the Gold Coast, with a $75,000 Open 1200m Handicap and the official launch of the Queensland Summer Racing Carnival
- Saturday 9 January: The Magic Millions Gold meeting, featuring the Sunlight slot race, becomes a twilight-night event
- Saturday 16 January: Magic Millions day stays a day-twilight meeting
- Friday 22 January: Summer Scorcher series finale
Racenet reported that a further six night meetings will follow the finale, each with a $50,000 mini-feature race.
A bigger role for the Gold Coast lights
The Sunshine Coast already hosts semi-regular night meetings, but the Gold Coast has traditionally preferred Saturday day racing. Racenet reported the lights at the Gold Coast Turf Club have been used only sparingly since they were first seen under race conditions in October 2024. The track staged its first night meeting in December 2024.
Racing Queensland’s Summer Carnival program, released on 1 October, already includes racing under lights on the Gold Coast on 18 December, when a $200,000 edition of Magic Millions The Debut for unraced two-year-olds will be run.
The Summer Carnival is headlined by the TAB Magic Millions Raceday on the Gold Coast on 16 January, with the $3 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic and $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.
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