Regional NSW will again be the focus of the world’s richest greyhound series with the announcement of the schedule for the 2024 Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase.
Gosford to Grafton, Goulburn to Gunnedah, and another 12 destinations dotted around the state will host events on the road to one greyhound winning its connections $1 million on October 18.
This year’s Chase will commence with heats at Maitland on August 26 with the first of the Regional Finals run at that venue a week later. The first three placegetters in each of the 15 Regional Finals will advance to the Million Dollar Chase semi-finals to be held at Wentworth Park on October 12.
As well as the regional events, City Qualifiers will be held at Wentworth Park on October 5.
“While again it will be the industry’s night of nights at Wentworth Park on October 18, since its inception back in 2018, the Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase has always been about the benefits it can bring to the people of regional NSW,” Greyhound Racing NSW’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Wayne Billett said.
“The series has come a long way since that first year and across that time I have been fortunate to have experienced the enthusiasm and excitement in regional communities around NSW as the MDC rolled into town.
“One of the main aims of the series was for regional venues to host elite racing and attract the best greyhounds and we have seen evidence of that across the years, and we expect it again in 2024.
“But another very important benefit has been to the economy and greater communities where the series has travelled since its inception, and since that inaugural event in 2018, the Million Dollar Chase has demonstrated the importance of greyhound racing to regional NSW.”
Following the success from 2023, GRNSW have again included two Group events as part of the MDC schedule.
All three placegetters in the finals of the Group 1 Ladbrokes Dapto Megastar, which will be run on September 12, and the Group 2 Black Top (September 27) will have the added bonus of gaining a semi-final berth in the Chase.
Placegetters from the Megastar Final will be entitled to compete in the Black Top at Ladbrokes Gardens, and should any of the Megastar placegetters be placed in the Black Top Final their spot in the MDC semi-finals will go to the next finisher in The Gardens’ feature.
Invitations to the MDC semi-finals will also be issued to first three placegetters in the National Sprint Championship final, which this year will be held in Adelaide on August 24.
The regional heats and finals will run across five weeks. Following the first heats at Maitland, the series then goes to Temora, Goulburn, Dubbo, Casino, Dapto, Richmond, Broken Hill, Gunnedah, Bulli, Wagga, The Gardens, Grafton, Nowra, before finishing at Gosford on October 1.
Ladbrokes Million Dollar Chase Grand Final night will also see an array of supporting feature events including the Master Meteor, the Million Dollar Chase Maiden, the Young Star - and consolations of each of those events - and of the MDC – as well as the stayers in the Sydney Cup.
