The 2026 edition of the $200,000 Inglis Challenge for 2YOs will be run on Wagga Gold Cup Day at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club (MTC) on Friday May 1.
Inglis has teamed up with the MTC in a partnership that will see the Challenge run at one of the biggest Country Cup carnivals in Australia, with its $200,000 purse equalling that of the feature Wagga Gold Cup, making it the equal richest race in the club’s history.
The Challenge will be run over 1200m and is open to all Inglis graduates that are paid up to the Inglis Race Series.
Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch said Inglis is delighted to be partnering with the MTC on what is one of the biggest and best attended country race days in Australia.
“The Wagga Gold Cup Carnival is traditionally one of the best supported country carnivals in Australia and for Inglis to have one of our Race Series events as part of Wagga Gold Cup Day is a huge thrill,’’ Hutch said.
“With the Challenge being open to a broader cross section of horses this year, the location of Wagga means that the race is just as accessible for Victorian-based horses as it is for those in New South Wales.
“Every year you see horses out of the Wagga Gold Cup Carnival head to Queensland and compete strongly in some of the bigger races up there and the timing of the Challenge in early May provides a great pathway for trainers and owners to race for lucrative juvenile prizemoney or to use the race as a stepping stone to the G1 JJ Atkins in Brisbane and its lead-up races.
“The team at the MTC is known as being one of the most innovative in Australia and is renowned for generating incredible levels of community engagement, which will be exciting for Inglis to be a part of.’’
MTC CEO Jason Ferrario (pictured) added: “Inglis is one of the most highly respected brands in world racing so to be able to link up with them and host a leg of their lucrative $12m Inglis Race Series at our Gold Cup Carnival is a massive coup.
“The $200,000 Inglis Challenge will add another feature race to our already exciting Cup Day program and provide an opportunity for country, provincial and metropolitan trainers to target a 2YO race with huge prizemoney.’’
The Inglis Challenge will also feature the Best Turned Out Award, whereby the strapper of the horse deemed the best presented in the mounting yard pre-race will win $500.
