The countdown to the inaugural running of the $1 million ‘Showdown’, a race exclusively for two-year-olds by VOBIS Sires’-nominated stallions in April 2019 is on, with all Darley stallions located in Victoria eligible for the scheme this breeding season.
Leading first-season sire Brazen Beau and Lohnro’s dual G1 winner Impending head the list of eligible Darley stallions nominated this year.
The progeny of all VOBIS Sires’-nominated stallions will be eligible to compete in two exclusive races run annually on the Victorian Owners and Breeders Raceday, held at Caulfield Racecourse:
• $1 million two-year-old race over 1,200 metres to be run for the first time in April 2019; and
• $500,000 three-year-old race over 1,600 metres to be run for the first time in April 2020.
Darley’s General Manager in Victoria, Andy Makiv, said, “This is a terrific initiative by Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria and Racing Victoria and presents great opportunities for Victorian broodmare owners, racehorse owners and trainers. We are proud to support this program with all our Victorian stallions for the third straight year.
“Racehorse owners, breeders and trainers have been targeting the yearling sales with the aim of having a runner in the inaugural running of the two-year-old race next year.
“We send a significant portion of our own broodmare band to our Victorian-based stallions with this scheme in mind. There is little doubt it has had a big impact on the Victorian thoroughbred breeding and racing industries.”
The two races, in addition to the existing VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series, will be worth more than $4.4 million by 2020. The whole VOBIS program will offer more than $20 million to Victorian owners.
Darley stallions nominated for VOBIS Sires’ in 2018 are Brazen Beau, Frosted, Street Boss, Impending, Reset, Holler, Sepoy and Kuroshio.
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