Albury Racing Club will host the lucrative $150,000 Country Championships Qualifier for the Southern District Racing Association (SDRA) for a second successive year.
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Racing NSW announced on Monday that Albury would retain the right to host the feature race following its huge success in February.
The Country Championships raceday offers $390,000 in prizemoney and is the second richest in the region behind the award winning Albury Gold Cup day.
The $1-million final for the Country Championships will be held at Royal Randwick on April 6.
This year the $150,00 Qualifier will be run on Sunday, February 18.
Albury Racing Club chief executive officer Steve Hetherton said the club has opted to stage the prized meeting on a Sunday in preference to a Saturday to avoid clashing with the metropolitan meetings.
"We are thrilled to be once again chosen to host the SDRA Country Championships Qualifier," Hetherton said.
"We thank Racing NSW for providing Albury Racing Club another great opportunity to showcase country racing in NSW.
"In an exciting change for our club, the event will be held on a Sunday.
"Racing on a Sunday provides a great opportunity to promote our club and our region given the popularity and media attention the series attracts without competing against metropolitan clubs on a Saturday.
"The club feels switching the meeting to a Sunday gives the race club a lot more exposure compared to a Saturday meeting.
"So financially it can be very beneficial for not only the club but the region because there is a lot of hype surrounding the meeting and $390,000 in prizemoney up for grabs.
"That is massive and includes a $50,000 Super Maiden on the day."
This year Albury trainers continued their recent dominance when hosting the Championships Qualifier.
Stablemate Tap 'N' Run also qualified for the final the previous year.
Ridden a patient race by jockey Jason Lyon, the gelding produced a barnstorming finish down the long Albury home straight to win by almost two lengths.
The Donna Scott-trained Our Last Cash ran a bold race to finish second and hand the stable a fifth qualifier in the past six years.
Bautista (2021) and mighty Bennelong Dancer (2020-19-18) amazingly qualified for the final on three occasions with her highest placing in the lucrative final a third in 2019.
