The running of this Saturday’s $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick will also herald the winner of the 2018 TAB Editors’ Challenge.
Good Host (Jake Pracey-Holmes) will line up in the Newhaven Park Country Championships Final. Image by Janian McMillan
The Challenge was created following the success of the inaugural Country & Provincial Championships Series three years ago - 2018 TAB Country & Provincial Editors' Challenge
With the Series now having a widespread following around NSW, relevant newspaper editors were invited to ‘support their local horses’ that were heading to Royal Randwick to compete for their region.
First and second horses home in each newspaper’s region then run for the newspaper’s favourite charity in the Final, with TAB generously giving $5000 to the each of the two Final winners.
Last year it was Free Standing (Grafton Examiner) whose selected charity Westpac Rescue Helicopter received a $5000 cheque.
TAB also announced it would give a further $500 to each charity should their runners not win either Final. Following are the Country newspapers and their respective charities:-
2018 TAB COUNTRY EDITORS' CHALLENGE
Date | Venue | Winner & runner-up (TAB fixed odds for Final) | Newspaper | Charity |
Sat 18 Feb | Port Macquarie | 1st-Victorem ($6) | Port Macquarie News | Mackillop College Women's Legal Fund |
4th-Shelley Beach Road ($51) | Port Macquarie News | Mackillop College Women's Legal Fund | ||
Sat 24 Feb | Goulburn | 2nd-Pumpkin Pie ($8.50) | Goulburn Post | Goulburn Legacy |
3rd-Acquittal ($15) | Goulburn Post | Goulburn Legacy | ||
Sun 25 Feb | Mudgee | 1st-Cosmologist ($41) | Mudgee Guardian | Mudgee Relay for Life |
2nd-Noel's Gift ($101) | Mudgee Guardian | Mudgee Relay for Life | ||
Sun 4 Mar | Wagga Wagga | 1st-O' So Hazy ($26) | Wagga Advertiser | Good Talk Mental Health |
2nd-Bennelong Dancer ($51) | Wagga Advertiser | Good Talk Mental Health | ||
Sun 11 Mar | Grafton | 1st-Snitz ($6.50) | Grafton Examiner | Red Cross Blood Service |
2nd-Ferniehirst ($31) | Grafton Examiner | Red Cross Blood Service | ||
Sun 18 Mar | Scone | 1st-Suncraze ($4.20 eq fav) | Scone Advocate | Where There's a Will |
2nd-Caerless Choice ($11) | Scone Advocate | Where There's a Will | ||
Sun 25 Mar | Dubbo | 1st-Good Host ($101) | Dubbo Liberal | Clare's Angels |
2nd-Sea Lady ($81) | Dubbo Liberal | Clare's Angels | ||
Sun 26 Mar | Muswellbrook | 1st-Don't Give a Damn ($4.20 fav) | Muswellbrook Chronicle | Red Door Community Kitchen |
2nd-My Tagoson ($26) | Muswellbrook Chronicle | Red Door Community Kitchen | ||
Sat 7 April | Royal Randwick | 1st-xxx | xxx | xxx |
HONOUR ROLL (Country)
2017 - Grafton Examiner - FREE STANDING (Westpac Rescue Helicopter)
2016 - Scone Advocate - CLEARLY INNOCENT (Aberdeen Men's Shed)
2015 - Muswellbrook Chronicle - ARTLEE (Cancer Council)