NRRA Country Championships moved to Grafton Racecourse Coffs Coast Sport Sport by News Of The Area - Modern Media - February 9, 2022February 10, 2022 Baileys wins last year’s Country Championships qualifying final. RACING NSW have advised the Newhaven Park Country Championships meeting scheduled for Coffs Harbour, Saturday, 12 February 2022 has been transferred and will now be conducted at Grafton racecourse. After receiving 105mm of rainfall in the last week, the Coffs Harbour track is currently rated a Heavy 10 and with further rainfall forecast for Friday and Saturday, an early decision was made to transfer this meeting. Organisers say all tickets will be refunded back into the bank account that the ticket was purchased through. The Newhaven Park Country Championships consists of a series of seven races each held at a club representing a region in NSW. The first and second finishing horse in each regional race will qualify for the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships final to be held at Sydney’s Royal Randwick on Day 1 of the Championships on Saturday, 2 April. Grafton Racecourse will be hosting the big day of eight races on Saturday, including the main race for the two spots at Royal Randwick in April. Each race will be worth $150,000 in prize money and will be contested by eligible horses that are under the care of a trainer in the Northern Rivers region. An eighth wildcard race will be held to give one more opportunity for horses to qualify for the final who have already contested an earlier heat on the day. The Country Championships were first introduced in 2015 as an initiative of Racing NSW to help support and promote racing in NSW country areas and to also ensure that regional horses from across the state are part of The Championships in Sydney in the autumn. By Aiden BURGESS
