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Racing Queensland has announced the first of its increased feature prize money allocations with clubs in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton the beneficiaries.

Cairns Jockey Club, the Far North Queensland Amateur Turf Club (Cairns) and Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton Turf Clubs will each receive an additional $90,000 per year.

Racing Queensland CEO Darren Condon said the majority of the funding would kick in for the 2015-16 racing season but some meetings later in the current season would receive an increase before next August.

“These regions boast some of the best provincial racing in the state and we are pleased to be able to deliver the first round of increases, which will be spread across races on feature days,” Condon said.

“Next year’s Cairns Cup meeting will receive an additional $25,000 with all $15,000 races boosted to $20,000. This will be the same for the Cairns Amateurs meeting as well as the FNQATC Cup day, resulting in a $55,000 boost for those meetings.

“In Townsville, the biggest boosts will be seen on Ladies Day in the lead up to the Townsville Cup with an additional $40,000 allocated to the day. We have also split the Pallarenda Stakes into sex classes for the first time.

“Next year’s Mackay Newmarket and Mackay Cup pools will also be boosted by a total of $25,000 with $15,000 races jumping to $20,000. We have also re-introduced a major early season 2YO race, which will now carry $30,000 up from $10,000.”

Condon said Rockhampton would be the first to see the benefits of the new allocations with feature meetings leading into the Rockhampton Newmarket and Rockhampton Cup receiving a boost from June next year.

“From June 2015, Rockhampton will host a Country Cup, which will be run for $30,000, while the Tatts Sprint and Tatts Cup will each receive a $10,000 increase,” he said.

“The Rocky Cup and Rocky Newmarket meetings will also receive a boost with an additional $12,000 and $16,000 across the meeting respectively.

“We have also split the Breeders Plate into two races – one for colts and geldings and another for fillies – and increased the prize money to $30,000 for each race.

Queensland’s Minister for Racing Steve Dickson said this was a fantastic outcome for clubs across regional Queensland.

“By delivering the new wagering agreement partnership with Tatts earlier this year, we are seeing a significant benefit to the industry through these prize money increases across the codes,” he said.

“The historic $850 million deal provides sustainability and certainty for industry and participants into the future, giving participants the confidence to invest in the Queensland racing industry which we are beginning.”

FROM next month, prize money at a standard seven-race Thursday program at Callaghan Park in Rockhampton will increase from $70,000 to $91,000.

Standard mid-week TAB races in Rockhampton will each carry $13,000 prize money – up from $10,000 – from October 1 and $12,000 semi-features will also rise to $13,000.

An eight-race Friday program at Rockhampton will carry $104,000 prize money.

Rockhampton is also included in the inaugural Racing Queensland Summer Provincial Series commencing on Melbourne Cup Day 2014.

The series will feature seven $20,000 heats at the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast, Warwick and Ipswich leading up to a $100,000 final at Doomben on December 6 this year.

The winning horse from each heat will gain automatic entry into the final while the winning trainer of the series finale will receive a $5000 bonus.