Festival of Fire to Heat Up Angle Park in December
GRSA will continue to support local participants in December when the Festival of Fire series of races are conducted. GRSA is thrilled to conduct for the second year, the Festival of Fire series, the newest and most exciting fortnight on the South Australian greyhound racing calendar. The Festival of Fire, series will provide opportunities for the best 48 nominations over the 530m trip, the best 16 nominations over 595m and the best 8 nominations for a 730m event. There will be Heats and a Final of a restricted event (0-5 wins), running from Saturday morning to Thursday night which will provide a separate opportunity for that category of the runner. There will be a change in that the second 595m event will be removed and the main 595m event has been increased from the best 12 greyhounds to the best 16 greyhounds. Taking the place of the second 595m event will be a 530m Time Graded event for the lowest ranked 32 greyhounds.
The Festival of Fire is an end-of-year celebration for the local industry, which provides fantastic opportunities across the entire spectrum of racing classes, across all three distances at Angle Park, the home of SA greyhound racing.
The Festival of Fire series will commence on the race night of Thursday, December 15, continue into the Saturday morning timeslot (December 17) and then culminate in 5 Finals and a special stayer’s event with all Finals carrying a collective purse of more than $100,000 the following Thursday night (December 22). The Board has resolved that the top-up amounts for this series will sit outside the Wagering Activity Payments (WAP) model. This means that most of the stake money for the series will be added to the guaranteed return that has already been committed to the industry through the WAP model.
Conditions –
- Greyhounds must be SA-trained.
- Greyhounds must be in South Australia as of midnight 1st November 2022 to be eligible (unraced greyhounds that have not had their first training amendment lodged that are in SA at this time will be eligible). Those greyhounds that have left the State prior to this date, however, are considered SA based on the Nationals criteria of 76 days out of 150 days prior to the close of nominations for each event will be eligible.
- All races will be non-penalty
Thursday 15th December
THE ASHES (530M) – Best 16 nominated – Selected by the GRSA Grader – no Reserves – Maidens ineligible – maximum of two Heats – guarding applies For Heats
Heats Thursday, 15th December (Open City A Prizemoney)– Final Thursday, 22nd December (1st $20,000, 2nd $5,800, 3rd $2,900)
THE INFERNO (530M) – For those Greyhounds not selected for The Ashes and not selected for The Flame. Best 32 nominated on Time Rating with reserves – Maidens are ineligible – maximum of four Heats - selection of Heats will be guarded and separated under normal Heat and Final rules. If the same Time Rating, most race wins go in and then most prizemoney go in and then by Grader’s discretion).
Heats Thursday, 15th December (Grade 5 City A Prizemoney) – Final Thursday, 22nd December (1st $12,500, 2nd $3,650, 3rd $1,825)
THE FLAME (530M) – Lowest ranked 32 nominated on Time Rating – no reserves - Maidens are ineligible – maximum of four Heats - Guarding applies. Selection of Heats will be guarded and separated under normal Heat and Final rules. If the same Time Rating, greyhounds with the least race wins go in then the least amount of prizemoney go in and then by Grader’s discretion. Greyhounds must have had at least one race start over 455m or further in the last 3 months prior to the close of nominations to be eligible.
Heats Thursday, 15th December (Grade 6 City A Prizemoney) – Final Thursday, 22nd December (1st $10,000, 2nd $2,900, 3rd $1,450)
THE BONFIRE (595M) – Best 16 nominated – Selected by the GRSA Grader – with Reserves – Maidens ineligible – maximum of two Heats – guarding applies for Heats
Heats Thursday, 15th December (Open City A Prizemoney) – Final Thursday, 22nd December (1st $15,000, 2nd $4,400, 3rd $2,200)
The remaining events are determined by nominations received for other events.
*If all Heats are taken then GRSA will allow any 730m greyhounds nominated for this night to solo trial in preparation for The Blaze on Thursday, 22nd December.
- Nominations close with GRSA at 9.00 am on Monday, 12th December.
Saturday 17th December
THE SPARK (530M) – Best 64 nominated (0-5 wins only) – Selected by the GRSA Grader with Reserves – Maidens are eligible – maximum of eight Heats – guarding of Heats apply (Greyhounds are not eligible if have a race start on Thursday, 15th December).
Heats Saturday, 17th December (Open City B Prizemoney) – Final Thursday 22nd December (1st $10,000, 2nd $2,900, 3rd $1,450)
The remaining events are determined by nominations received for other events.
- Nominations close with GRSA at 9.00 am on Wednesday, 14th December.
Thursday 22nd December
THE BLAZE (730M) – Open event– Selected by the GRSA Grader – with Reserves – Maidens ineligible
Thursday 22nd December – Best 8 (1st $10,000, 2nd $2,900, 3rd $1,450, Unplaced $400)
Finals – The Ashes, The Inferno, The Bonfire, The Flame and The Spark
The remaining events are determined by nominations received for other events.
- Nominations close with GRSA at 9.00 am on Monday, 19th December.
GRSA reserves the right to vary the conditions of Heats as required based on nominations