The Gong 2022

In a hurry? We’ve listed all the quick facts that you need to know about The Gong:

The Gong is a recently added race on the NSW calendar to compete with the Victorian Spring Racing Carnival. While this race isn’t technically a Group 1, the amount of prizemoney available means that some of the best horses that are continuing their spring campaigns come to compete. The race in 2022 will be held on Saturday 19th November at Kembla Grange Racecourse. Looking back to the race in 2021, it was won by Count De Rupee.

The Gong is a 1,600m handicap race held at Kembla Grange in New South Wales. The handicap has a prize pool of $1 million and is named after the Wollongong region.

Along with the likes of the Golden Gift and The Hunter, The Gong was added to The Everest carnival in a bid to bolster the NSW Spring offering. The carnival is now worth a total over $45 million, with The Gong being the final event of nine straight Saturdays of million-dollar races in NSW.

The Gong is the feature race of what is a stand-alone metropolitan Saturday meeting for Kembla Grange. It’s a huge win for local trainers and jockeys, as well as the region’s economy.

The Gong is a new addition to The Everest carnival at Kembla Grange Racecourse, however it is not a Group 1 race. Our expert tipsters will put together a short list of The Gong tips to look out for in the leadup to the big race.

Given nominations are yet to be accepted for the 2022 The Gong, it is hard to provide any updates at this time. However, as the Spring Carnival starts wrapping up, the horses that are continuing on and targeting this race will become clearer, so we will be able to provide you with updates then. If you are after The Gong horse tips, then we will keep you informed with which horses are likely to be running, so you can place your futures bets with confidence!

We will list The Sharks’ The Gong best tips for the race this year closer to the time of the race. Make sure you check back on this page for updates!

The Gong Tips From Experts

Our tips are not out for the The Gong in 2022 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the The Gong is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2022 The Gong.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned, or alternatively you can chat to The Shark to get the best tips for every day!

As it is just the fourth year of the race’s history, we don’t have heaps of results to draw correlations from when looking at The Gong. However, there are a lot of important factors to consider before betting at this race. Make sure you have a read on below before you place your bets:

Should I Bet On The Favourite in The Gong?

The first two runnings of The Gong saw favourites get beaten, but Count De Rupee won as $4.80 equal-favourite in 2021. Luvaluva (5th) was the $5 pre-race favourite in 2019 and Dawn Passage (2nd) was the $5 pre-race favourite in 2020. The two winners in those years were both big roughies, with Mister Sea Wolf winning at $21 in 2019 and Archedemus running victorious at $18 in 2020.

Is Previous Form a Good Indicator of Success in The Gong?

Like any race, the form and success of a horse entering The Gong is important. When looking at the field for The Gong, it is important to look for horses that have the proven ability to run the 1,600m distance and renowned performers at the Kembla track. The Golden Eagle (1,500m) and the Hot Danish (1,400m) are both strong Set Weight races that are held prior to The Gong.

Count De Rupee finished second in The Golden Eagle, by 0.2L, in 2021 before winning The Gong in his next start.

Gender 

In the first three runs of The Gong, geldings have been victorious in each, with Mister Sea Wolf (2019), Archedemus (2020) and Count De Rupee (2021).

Weight 

Weight is something to strongly consider when it comes to handicap races, such as The Gong. We’ve seen two very different winners win the two meetings of The Gong when looking at weight, as Mister Sea Wolf won with the top weight of 59kg in 2019 and Archedemus won the quality handicap with 52.5kg in 2020.

Count De Rupee found himself having to carry the third-most weight (second-most after I Am Superman was a late scratching) but still prevailing with 57.5kg on his back.

Age

Although The Gong is a quality handicap race with no class or gender restrictions open for three-year-olds and upwards, we have seen two very experienced horses passing the post first at Kembla Grange in the first two runnings. Mister Sea Wolf won as an eight year old in 2019 and Archedemus won the quality handicap at seven years of age in 2020.

Count De Rupee bucked that trend by winning as a four-year-old in 2021, bringing in some very hot Golden Eagle form into the race.

The Gong Best Bets

Our tips are not out for the The Gong in 2022 as it is too far out from the event. But the good news is that when the final field for the The Gong is announced, we will provide guidance on each and every runner in the 2022 The Gong.

You will find all this information below, when it becomes available. Stay tuned, or alternatively you can chat to The Shark to get the best tips for every day!

Before the The Gong field is officially announced – online bookies will open early markets, or all-in markets, for The Gong betting. This is prime time to bet on your favourite horse, as you might be able to bet on strong contenders for the 2022 The Gong at double-digit odds.

Once the bookies release The Gong odds for 2022, they will obviously fluctuate frequently in the lead up to the race, especially when we have a better idea of which horses will be targeting the race and if they have had a first up run prior to challenging the meeting.

Punting early on these markets can find you a favourite at prices of $10 or more, which will retain you a much higher return on investment. However, there is increased risk with doing this and you should be well aware.

Depending on when you place a futures bet on the 2022 The Gong, your horse may not even run but you won’t get your money back, occurring when the market is ‘All-In’ or closer to the starting date. If you are betting when it says ‘Before Noms’, you have the security of receiving your money back if your horse doesn’t run.

Unfortunately, betting odds for The Gong 2022 are yet to be released, but you can rest easy knowing that we will provide them for you as soon as they are released!

When looking at a horse racing field, it is essentially just the lineup of horses that will be taking part in any given race. As it is one of the newest feature races announced by added to NSW’s iconic The Everest carnival, The Gong will consist of 16 high calibre horses contesting the event, unless there is a late scratching like in 2021.

With the race yet to be run, we still don’t know what The Gong results for 2022 will be! However, check back in after the race and we will have all of the information on how the big race went and what the results are.

Looking back at last year, Count De Rupee stormed home over the top, taking the lead at the 200m mark and not giving it back. He finished ahead of a fast-finishing Nudge, who was able to hold off Yamazaki for second.

Given Count De Rupee was the favourite and had a wide draw, it was surprising to see the other jockeys allow Brock Ryan to bring him comfortably into midfield with cover and not force him out wide. Ryan used this to the fullest, pulling Count De Rupee out at the top of the straight after getting a comfy ride throughout before he burst past them to win.

You’ve read the words, now watch the video! Have a squiz below at The Gong race in 2021:

The Gong Winners

The results for the upcoming The Gong are not yet available, but in the meantime, you can have a look below at all the recent past winners: