This Saturday's night Shirley Turnbull Memorial at Bathurst is the first of six races that make up this season's harness racing Carnival of Cups bonus and the big prize money on offer has attracted a strong field. Kevin Newman Cup winning Bling It On is looking for his third successive victory while Victorian Keayang Steamer will return to New South Wales after winning Bankstown's Treuer Memorial earlier this month.

A $15,000 bonus (split – $10,000 for the owner, $5,000 for the trainer) is on offer for the leading point scorer across six Gr 2 and Gr 3 races during the popular Carnival of Cups while a $5,000 bonus will be won by the connections of one of the horses that compete at least twice in the series of Cups.

The race schedule for the Carnival of Cups Bonus is:

Shirley Turnbull Memorial – Bathurst 26/02/15

Goulburn Cup – Goulburn 26/01/16

Young Cup – Young 12/03/16

Renshaw Cup – Penrith 14/04/16

Schweppes Cup – Bankstown 22/04/16

Bulli Gold Cup – Tabcorp Park Menangle 30/04/16

To be eligible for the $15,000 Carnival of Cups Bonus horses must compete in a least four of the six Cup features with each runner given an allotment of points as per the points table in the HRNSW Carnival of Cups Bonus Policy.

If a registered owner attends the respecting Cup meeting there will be a bonus four points allocated to horses that compete in the race. To earn the bonus points owners must report to the Club Secretary who will retain a copy of the owner's photo identification.

To win the $5,000 Carnival of Cups bonus – each meeting a registered owner with a starter in the races listed above, attends they will receive one entry in the draw for the $5,000. To win the $5,000 bonus an owner must have attended and entered the draw at two or more meetings and the owner must be in attendance at the Bulli Gold Cup Function at Menangle on Saturday April 30, 2016.

The Shirley Turnbull Memorial has attracted two Gr. 1 winners while a further seven of the ten remaining runners have been placed at Gr. 1 level. In 2014 the race was won by Victoria Cup winner For A Reason while other previous winners include Washakie, Divisive, Karloo Mick and Thorate.

Greg Hayes