THE 2011 Mornington Cup Day program on February 16 has been given an enormous boost by the inclusion of the $250,000 Inglis Premier race for two-year-olds.

Previously run at Caulfield on Futurity Stakes Day, the Inglis Premier is the flagship race for graduates from The Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, which is held during the peak of The Melbourne Festival Of Racing each year.

Melbourne Premier Sale graduates to win the Blue Diamond Stakes include Reward For Effort and Alinghi, both shining examples of the calibre of two-year-olds eligible to contest The Inglis Premier leading into that race.

The new home for the Inglis Premier will now see it run 10 days prior to the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes, which is on the eve of the yearling sale.

Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster said, “We are delighted to be working closely with the Melbourne Racing Club and Mornington to deliver this race to a new home which is so well suited to the overall program for two-year-olds.”

The programming of the Inglis Premier to Mornington Cup Day in 2011 is the first of many initiatives under the recently merged entity of the Melbourne and Mornington Racing Clubs.

The decision serves to deliver on the vision announced when the merger was voted for that a superior racing program will be conducted at Mornington in the future.

In making the announcement, Mornington Racing Club Chairman, Mr Rod Fenwick expressed his delight at how quickly the benefits of the merger were taking effect for the members of Mornington.

“This is the merger in action and is the beginning of the exciting future ahead at Mornington. I urge the people of the Peninsula to take up the generous membership offers available and be a part of it, “Mr Fenwick said.

“The Inglis Premier is a fitting early reward for the Mornington members, who so overwhelmingly voted in support the merger, and this is a resounding endorsement of that decision.

“Hosting the $250,000 Inglis Premier on our brand new track will take our feature race day to an exciting new level. The Inglis Premier, together with the $200,000 Listed Mornington Cup and the $100,000 Listed Hareeba Stakes will boost the total prize money for the day to an unprecedented $760,000 and providing a feast of wonderful racing on that day for our members and the people of the Peninsula,” he added.

“Mornington Cup Day is already the largest meeting held at a non-metropolitan course during the Summer/Autumn period and we are committed to ensuring it continues to grow,” Mr Fenwick concluded.

MORNINGTON RACING CLUB MEDIA RELEASE