By David Nagel
The Pakenham Racing Club will play host to a heat of the $700,000 Country Mile Race Series after Racing Victoria (RV) announced a second annual series will be held in 2022.
RV – in conjunction with Country Racing Victoria (CRV) – has introduced new conditions for the popular series aimed at helping smaller stables to have the opportunity to taste success.
The 2022 Country Mile Race Series will again feature five heats of $75,000 at country Victorian tracks – throughout February and March – and culminate with a $250,000 final on All-Star Mile Raceday at Flemington on Saturday, 19 March 2022.
Heat 2 – held under lights at Pakenham – will be a BenchMark-64 Handicap run over 1400-metres on Thursday, 24 February.
The final of the series will be moved from The Valley to Flemington, with the field size increasing from 15 to 16 starters.
As a result, a $75,000 wildcard race has been added to the qualifying rounds at Bendigo on Friday, 11 March, where the winner will gain the final spot in the 16-horse field.
Last season’s inaugural Country Mile Race Series was open to country trainers only, however the recent relocation of Caulfield trainers to country venues necessitated a review of the race conditions with updated eligibility criteria announced today.
To be eligible for the 2022 Country Mile Race Series, a trainer must:
• Only be licensed in Victoria; and
• Have trained less than 15 Victorian metropolitan winners in the previous racing season (2020/21).
• In addition, a horse must be in the care of its eligible trainer on or before 1 January 2022 to take its place in the heats and final.
As per 2021, the first three placegetters in each of the five heats will automatically qualify for the final which will be conducted as a BenchMark-80 race on All-Star Mile Day.
RV Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said the series would continue to grow after the overwhelming success of the inaugural series in 2021.
“The inaugural Country Mile Series was a terrific success with Ben Brisbourne enjoying the biggest moment of his training career winning an enthralling final at The Valley where we saw heat winners fill four of the first five placings,” Carpenter said.
“We’re excited to launch the 2022 Country Mile Race Series and do so with the intention of ensuring that it remains an attractive target for smaller stables through an important amendment to the eligibility criteria.
“Any trainer who prepared 15 or more metro winners last season, or is licensed outside Victoria, is ineligible to compete which paves the way for smaller stables to grab their moment in the spotlight as Wangaratta trainer Ben Brisbourne did in March.”
Carpenter said the switch of the final to Flemington – creating a bigger field – would add further excitement to the series.
“The introduction of a wildcard race for the 16th position in the 2022 final will create some extra theatre and provide connections with a further opportunity to secure their place in the $250,000 final which will again be one of the highlights on All-Star Mile Day,” Carpenter said.
“With the All-Star Mile carrying a minimum handicap rating of 80 for older horses, the Country Mile Final serves to again complement that with a BenchMark-80 rating which will ensure a highly competitive race and I look forward to some great storylines emerging.”
The schedule for the 2022 Country Mile Race Series is as follows:
• Heat 1 Friday 11 February Colac (1600m)
• Heat 2 Thursday 24 February Pakenham (1400m)
• Heat 3 Sunday 27 February Ballarat (1400m)
• Heat 4 Friday 4 March Ararat (1600m)
• Heat 5 Saturday 5 March Wangaratta ((1590m)
• Heat 6 Friday 11 March Bendigo (1500m)
• Final Saturday 19 March Flemington (1600m)
