Among the eight races each carrying $100,000 or more scheduled for Australia’s richest ever country carnival, that to be held at Scone on Friday and Saturday May 13 and 14, are two for juveniles each worth a total of $130,000 plus BOBS bonuses.

One of them, the traditional Inglis 2YO Challenge (1300m), is only open to graduates from their Scone yearling sale or the yearling section or their Sydney winter sale, is on the Friday.

The other, a new event for the age group, the Darley 2YO Handicap (1400m, Open) for fillies, is to be held on the Saturday. Excluding BOBS, the winner’s take for the Darley is $84,500 prize money and valuable trophies for the owner, trainer and jockey.

A lead up to both the Scone open juvenile fillies race is a $30,000 prelude at nearby Muswellbrook on Friday April 29. The winner is exempt from the ballot for the Scone race.

Muswellbrook has two races on the program which could be described as preludes to Scone. The other is a $30,000 Open Handicap over 1000m. The winner is exempt from the ballot for the $100,000 Prydes Easifeed Scone Quality Handicap (1100m) on the opening day of the  Scone carnival.

The total value for the rewards for the two-day Scone carnival is approximately $1.8millions and eight of the races, including two Listed stakes, each carry $100,000 plus. Also every race carries trophies for the owner, trainer and jockey.

The full program for the Friday is to be the $175,000 Listed Emirates Park Scone Cup (a quality over 1600m), the $100,000 Prydes Easifeed Scone Quality (1100m), $130,000 (includes money down to eighth place), Inglis 2YO Challenge (1300m) and five $50,000 events, the Kia-Ora Benchmark 65 Handicap (1400m), Cressfield Class 2 Handicap (1300m),Turangga Farm Class 1 Handicap (1100m), Segenhoe Stud Maiden Handicap (1000m) and Kitchwin Hills Maiden Plate (1600m).

There are five $100,000 plus races listed for the Saturday, a country meeting which for the first time in New South Wales history takes the place of a Sydney program.The big five are the $250,000 Inglis 3YO Guineas (1600m, restricted to 3yos nominated to the Inglis Race Series), the Listed $175,000 Arrowfield Dark Jewel Classic (1400m, fillies and mares), $100,000 Yarraman Park/Horse Power Open Handicap (1300m), $130,000 Coolmore 3YO Fillies Open Handicap (1100m) and the $130,000 Darley Handicap (1400, Open for fillies).

Also on the Saturday are three $70,000 events, the Northern Meteor Sprint Benchmark 75 Handicap (1100m), Patinack Farm Benchmark 75 Handicap (2200m) and Vinery Stud Maiden Plate (1300m). The Northern Meteor is named after one of the young sires standing at the Widden stud.

The two day Scone Cup carnival and the two day Inglis conducted Hunter Valley Breeders’ Yearling sale – 392 lots over Thursday and Sunday May 12 and 15 – are a grand finale to the action packed annual Scone Horse Festival. Opening on April 28, the Festival celebrate Scone’s role as Australia’s Horse Capital.