The inaugural $100,000 Ladbrokes Southside Challenge will highlight Victoria’s first Good Friday Night meeting on Friday 29 March, with the Good Friday Appeal set to be the big winner.
An initiative of Southside Racing, the Ladbrokes Southside Challenge is a maiden event to be run over 1300m, with the field made up of six runners trained at Cranbourne, and six runners trained at Pakenham.
There will be a maximum of one horse per trainer.
Leading Cranbourne trainer Mick Price will captain the ‘home’ team, while Pakenham based Peter Moody will lead the ‘away’ team.
The race will have a strong charity element – one of several fundraising initiatives to be run through the night – with all proceeds donated to the Good Friday Appeal.
“We’re delighted to launch this exciting initiative at our first Good Friday Night meeting,” said Southside Racing CEO Neil Bainbridge.
“When Southside Racing made its submission to race on Good Friday night, we had a very clear vision that the timeslot presented a fantastic opportunity to create a community event that would not only engage people in our sport, but also support fundraising efforts for the Good Friday Appeal.
“The Ladbrokes Southside Challenge will showcase the trainers that have invested their training operations and trust in Southside, while supporting a very worthy cause.”
Other fundraising activities on the night include the auction of several unique pieces of racing memorabilia and experiences, race day raffles, as well as $5 from every general admission ticket being donated to the Appeal.
Southside Racing is Australia’s newest racing club and was formed following the merger of the Cranbourne Turf Club and Pakenham Racing Club.
Southside Racing is home to the state’s leading training facilities, producing approximately one third of all staters in Victoria.
It conducts over 60 race meetings and approximately 500 races each season while generating over $300m annually into the local economy.
