Prize money for Port Macquarie Race Club’s Queen Of The North in February has been increased while Arrowfield Stud has agreed to sponsor the race again next year.
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The Arrowfield Queen Of The North, a Benchmark 75 for fillies and mares over 1200 metres, will be run on the club’s newly renovated track on Friday February 3 and will be the feature at this, one of the club’s three Showcase meetings this season.
Prize money for the Queen Of The North increases to $70,000, up from $50,000 in 2015 when the race was also sponsored by Arrowfield.
This will be the 12th running of the Queen Of The North which has developed into a major stepping stone for up and coming fillies and mares.
Heavenly Glow won it in 2008 when trained by Ross Stitt and went on to win Group One Arrowfield Stakes, the Group One Australian Oaks and the Group Three Doomben Roses.
The race was not run this year with the track closed while undergoing its $3.7 million re-build.
Arrowfield Stud Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer said Arrowfield Stud was delighted to sponsor the Queen of the North for the second time and especially with its increased prize money.
"We have always valued the broad base of Australian racing and we recognise the social and economic importance of grassroots participation in the sport,” Mr Freyer said.
“That’s reflected in Arrowfield’s sponsorship of fillies and mares’ races at Wyong, Kembla Grange and Port Macquarie.
"It’s always good to see the subsequent progress made by winners of these races.
“For instance, last year’s Mona Lisa Stakes winner Vergara went on to win the Epona Stakes Group 3 at Rosehill and run fourth in Winx’s Doncaster Group One.
"We look forward to cheering home a strong field of fillies and mares in the Queen of the North on February 3.”
Port Macquarie Race Club’s president, Gregory Delaforce, said the club was delighted that Arrowfield had agreed to continue its sponsorship.
“It is appropriate that one of Australia’s leading studs has recognised the importance of this race which is aimed specifically at fillies and mares, the foundation of our breeding system,” Mr Delaforce said.
“We hope they can go on to develop into top class race horses and later still top class broodmares.”
