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Newcastle Jockey Club is delighted to host the fourth running of The Hunter Raceday featuring the $1 million ‘The Hunter’ on Saturday (12th November).

The $1m race headlines an exciting 10-race metropolitan stand-alone meeting at Newcastle Racecourse with total prizemoney close to $2.5m.

The Hunter, a 1300m race for top class sprinters, is quickly becoming a race of the highest quality with last year’s winner being the John O’Shea-trained Lost And Running who is a multiple Group winner and considered one of the nation’s best sprinters.

Duane Dowell, NJC Chief Executive, said The Hunter Raceday will provide another welcome boost to the region and enabled the club to showcase what’s great about Newcastle and the Hunter Valley.

Hugh Bowman returns after winning last year's The Hunter on Lost And Running. Image by Bradley Photographers

The comprehensive Hunter Raceday marketing campaign that kicked off on October 16th highlights the excitement surrounding the raceday but also encapsulates the beauty within the greater Hunter region.

“While we expect a big response from locals, we are also promoting the day as a destination weekend,” he said.

“Newcastle and the Hunter has so much to offer visitors and we hope this event provides widespread benefit to The Hunter economy, especially the hospitality sector who have suffered greatly over the past couple of years due to COVID.”

The day will be filled with music, soloists, live bands and DJs throughout the course providing an exciting atmosphere.

The renowned Charlestown Square Fashions On The Field returns for The Hunter Raceday. FOTF is the perfect opportunity to celebrate and showcase racing fashion within the Hunter Region.

With the overwhelming success of the Charlestown Square FOTF at Ladies Day earlier in the year, NJC anticipates a high calibre of entrants with an exciting line-up of judges and MC to be announced in the coming days.

The celebrations don't stop after the last with multi-platinum musician, Running Touch performing a DJ Set at the Official Afterparty at Newcastle Racecourse in the Courtyard Lawn.

Running Touch is a multi-dimensional Melbourne musician constantly pushing the boundaries of his work, showcasing an artistic vision that since its debut, has evolved to become one of Australia’s most intricately detailed - and successful.

The Hunter will be supported by several feature races on the program including the Group 3 New Zealand Bloodstock Spring Stakes for three-year-olds over 1600m, the $300,000 NZB Insurance Beauford for the stayers over 2300m and the NZB Max Lees Classic for two-year-olds over 900m won last year by Russian Conquest who then went on to finish 2nd in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic.

New Zealand Bloodstock and its partners will sponsor 8 of the 10 race program with another race, The Alf Kneebone Trans-Tasman Trophy, lining New Zealand trainers up against their Australian counterparts for bragging rights over 1850m. Last year, the race was taken out by the Chris Waller-trained Mightydeel meaning New Zealand are one up on the Aussies!

In a lovely gesture by Mike Kneebone and the team at New Zealand Bloodstock, one of the races on the day will be named after Newcastle golfing legend Jack Newton, who sadly passed away earlier in the year.

The current ticket sales indicate that thousands of Novacastrians are similarly keen for the day. Dowell added, “We want Novocastrians and Hunter people to embrace this as their raceday with much of our marketing around that notion. Our region, our town, our race ... The Hunter.”

Tickets are available - HERE

Shuttle buses will be operating with Fashions On The Field Registration available - HERE