as for State and national championships - imagine what it would do for racing if every horse entering the one million dollar national sprint championship must first qualify through a heat at a country track.All the stars around the country would have to make the pilgrimage to small regional tracks bringing elite racing, for a day to Wagga, and Bunbury, and Mildura etc..
and then you have semi finals in the city

....

prize money doesnt mean good horses will go.

look at the perth cup when it was a 1 million dollar racxe also the railway stakes is worth the same amount as the emirates mile and i dare say is an easier race yet attracts few if any inter state entries