From the Callers Box – June 2025

What’s the purpose of Invitational events? Surely, it carries a twofold effect.

Firstly, you want to make sure that you attract the best possible line-up imaginable, regardless of what industry you’re involved in. And secondly, promotion is the other key element involved with an invitational event. Right.
The promotional aspect is critical to the branding and longevity of the event. Obvious.

So where do we sit with the Rising Sun?
First staged in 2021 as part of the new look Constellations carnival, the Rising Sun staged at Albion Park, made an immediate impact, a race primarily for four-year-olds while two three-year-olds could also gain an invite to start. And fillies/mares get preferential treatment with the barrier draw.

Originally, it was four horses to gain invites, a pair of four-year-olds plus a pair of three-year-olds while the remainder of the twelve-horse field was chosen by the Racing Queensland handicapper.
Now, up to eight horses can be invited by RQ officials. It’s their race and they issue the invites.

The Roll of Honour includes Amazing Dream, Ladies In Red, Leap To Fame and Wisper A Secret. So, two mares have scored (Amazing Dream & Ladies In Red) and two locally prepared runners have proven triumphant (Leap To Fame & Wisper A Secret). No three-year-old is yet to win although Leap To Fame (2022) and Rocknroll Hammer (2023) have been placed in the event.

What does the 2025 version look like?
A month away from the event (at the time of writing), only two horses are confirmed with the Emma Stewart stablemates Bay Of Biscay and Always Hot locked in for the July 5 feature.

Where are all the rest of the invitees?
The local talent runs deep with the likes of The Janitor, Dele Row, Air Express, Charge Ahead and Birkirkara all vying for a start. And they wait.

Will a three-year-old gain an invite and furthermore, will they accept the challenge?
It’s hard to promote something when there’s nothing to promote. And keep this in mind, the 2025 Rising Sun is scheduled for July 5, the opening night of the Inter Dominion series, so, are the punters looking for this race on the card or more focused on local hero Leap To Fame chasing another major moment?

Time is running out or more simply put, has time run out?

Until next time.