April 2019

The field of the inaugural Showdown has been finalised, with 16 VOBIS Sires two-year-olds set to chase the $1 million purse this Saturday at Caulfield’s Victorian Owners and Breeders Raceday. Named after the legendary stallion of the 1970s, The Showdown is only open to the two-year-old progeny of Victorian-based stallions nominated for the VOBIS Sires Race Series. Twelve Victorian stallions are represented in The Showdown, from seven Victorian studs. Darley Northwood has the most representatives, with four, followed by Sun Stud with three. The impressive field is headlined by Hightail, trained in Sydney by the father-son partnership of Peter and Paul...

The recent, high profiled success of Victorian-bred racehorses continues to cement the strength of the industry and the myriad of opportunities available for breeding thoroughbreds in Victoria. However perhaps the greatest testimony to our state’s thoroughbred industry is a statue in the small township of Nagambie. This sentinel in bronze serves as a constant reminder of the greatest Queen in the sport of Kings and, while Black Caviar is only one horse among many thousands bred in Australia each year, she will always remain the archetypal representation of what Victoria has to offer. Black Caviar was bred in Victoria, some...

Already arguably the best racing incentive program in the world, the impact of the newly added VOBIS Sires program is soon to be realised with the running of the inaugural 1200 metre $1 million dollar Showdown only a few weeks away. Launched in 2015, the $1.5 million VOBIS Sires program is a significant addition to the already lucrative Victorian Owner and Breeders Incentive Scheme (VOBIS), which rewards the nominator, owner, trainer and jockey of eligible racehorses.   The current Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold programs offers over $24 million annually in prizemoney and bonuses across the Victorian racing calendar, whilst...

Caulfield is the place to be on Saturday, 27 April, with more than $2.5 million in prizemoney and bonuses on offer across the nine races on Victorian Owners and Breeders Race Day. Featuring the inaugural running of ‘The Showdown’ (1200m), worth a cool $1 million, this year’s Victorian Owners and Breeders Race Day will cement its status as one of the most important days on the racing calendar. Seven of the nine races will form part of the Premier Race Series, which is only open to VOBIS Gold-nominated horses. They are headlined by The Showdown, which is exclusive to the...