Racing Victoria Confirms 2021 Jumps Racing Schedule

Bets.com.au Staff

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Last updated: Wed. 13 Jan. 2021 04:43

Bets.com.au Staff 13 Jan. 2021

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The 2021 Jumps Fixture has been confirmed
Warrnambool will host the opening meeting on March 8
Over $3.9 million is on offer over the upcoming Jumps season

Warrnambool will host the opening Jumps meeting in 2021. (Getty)

Via a media release on January 13, Racing Victoria (RV) has announced that the 2021 Victorian jumps racing season will commence at Warrnambool on March 8.

The 2021 schedule will feature two all-jumps meetings, at Pakenham on 18 July, the Mosstrooper Jumps Raceday for the first time, and the concluding event on the Victorian jumps racing calendar, Grand National Steeplechase Day, at Sportsbet-Ballarat on 29 August.

The Grand National meeting has also been moved a week later in the calendar to ensure a two week break from the penultimate meeting of the season.

Another change in 2021 will be the permanent introduction of ‘One Fit Hurdles’, after a successful trial during the 2020 season. The light weight hurdles, which are a custom fitting closed-cell foam pad will first be used at Cranbourne, Coleraine, Casterton and Warrnambool.

The benefits of the ‘One Fit Hurdle’ are two-fold, providing a safer jump for horse and rider and also a more user friendly option for track staff to set up and remove from the track.

The 2021 season will see over $3.9 million in prizemoney on offer for jumps participants. This includes one of the highlights of the Victorian jumps racing season, the TAB Warrnambool May Racing Carnival which will boast a minimum $785,000 in jumps prizemoney across the three-day event from 4-6 May.

In addition to racedays, trialling will commence at Cranbourne on 19 February, as well as at Warrnambool on 26 February, before the first jumps meeting of the season on 8 March.

RV General Manager, International and Racing Operations, Paul Bloodworth said it was pleasing to once again have a strong prize purse on offer for jumps participants.

“Along with the minimum $3.9 million in prizemoney, we are also excited to continue the $10,000 bonus scheme for jumps racing horses who register their first jumps career win," Bloodworth said.

“This significant investment is testimony to the health of jumps racing in Victoria, and the participants and communities that support the sport.

“Safety improvements are also an important focus each jumps racing season, and it’s great that following the successful trial of the ‘One Fit Hurdles’, we can start to introduce the light weight hurdles at jumps race meetings in 2021 to further improve conditions for rider and horse.

“It’s also pleasing that jumps fans will have the potential to return to racetracks around Victoria after the 2020 season was effectively raced behind closed doors due to the outbreak of COVID-19."

The 2021 season will offer a total of 64 jumps races – 41 hurdles and 23 steeplechases – programmed across the six month schedule.

Click Here to view the entire 2021 Victorian jumps racing schedule.