The Illawarra Turf Club at Kembla Grange is hosting Illawarra's third annual $1 million horse race this Saturday and is expected to be one of the highest attended race meetings in NSW this year.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
UFC Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski had the honour of sounding The Gong for the premier regional horse race.
Illawarra Turf Club president Peter De Vries said Volkanovski and his fighting spirit exemplified the way the region tackled COVID-19 and was the obvious choice to help ring-in the event.
"We were looking for a local personality of high profile who is a great supporter of the Illawarra and Wollongong and Alex is certainly that," Mr De Vries said.
"We thought it was appropriate for him to beat the gong to celebrate not only the race day but Alex's performances in his sport of the year."
What is The Gong?
The Gong horse race was first run over 1600 metres at Kembla Grange in 2019 and is only one of five $1m horse races in NSW.
It was added to the end of the Sydney spring carnival, which also saw the launch of The Everest in October that year.
The Gong was designed to attract some of Australia's top horses, with Mr De Vries saying this year's crop of potential runners would not disappoint.
"The field is excellent," he said.
"Acceptances won't be taken until tomorrow (Wednesday) but of the nominations there are 10 horses with a handicap/benchmark rating of over 100 which makes it a top class event.
"But the favourite for the race is actually a locally trained horse (Count De Rupee) which is very exciting for the club and Illawarra trainers."
When does The Gong start?
Racing will kick off at 11am, with The Gong earmarked for a 4.10pm start.
Meanwhile, the Fashions on the Field competition is expected to attract a large number of entries from those who have missed getting dressed up in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.
The winners and placegetters in three categories - best dressed lady, best dressed man and best hat - will share in $10,000 worth of prizes.
What you need to know about race day
- Tickets start from $15 and are available from Moshtix.com.au.
- General admission for adults $25
- The Gong race prizemoney $1million
- Special guest Alex Volkanovski
- Fashions on the Field with $10,000 in prizes for best dressed female, male and hat
- Gates open at 11am
- Race time 4.10pm
The Gong Prize Money Breakdown
Total prize money for The Gong horse race is $1 million.
Placing prize money
- First - $580,000
- Second - $190,000
- Third - $98,000
- Fourth - $44,000
- Fifth - $22,000
- Sixth, seventh and eighth - $10,000
- Ninth and tenth - $8000
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
