It would appear that Racing Victoria is more than a little enthusiastic regarding switching the Mackinnon Stakes from the first to the last day of the Flemington spring carnival.
To accommodate the switch, the Emirates Stakes would be moved from day four to day one.
The decision is still pending, and will rely heavily on the analysis of last year’s spring carnival.
Plenty of deliberation and consideration remains, as officials from Racing Victoria and the Victorian Racing Club weigh in on the idea. If the VRC ratifies the proposal, it would be put to a vote by the RV at the board meeting at the end of March.
One of the major considerations is that moving the Mackinnon back would provide a two-week gap between it and the Cox Plate, a break that would appeal to overseas horses.
Another consideration is that the prize money for the Mackinnon could climb considerably from its current $1 million level. This would hopefully serve as an enticement for trainers to run their Melbourne Cup runners in the Mackinnon as a lead-up.
RV chairman David Moodie has expressed support for the schedule adjustment, while RV Executive General Manager Racing Greg Carpenter was slightly restrained in his assessment of the possible switch.
