The 2018 edition will again feature seven regional qualifying heats, each boasting prizemoney of $150,000. 

The series, across eight race meetings, will again be run on seven consecutive Sundays with a single Saturday fixture on the second weekend. 

It all culminates with a $500,000 Final run at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday, April 7.

“The Country Championships excites all country participants and racegoers and is an important aspirational target for country racing,” Racing NSW chief executive officer Peter V’landys said.

“The increase in prizemoney for the Final to $500,000 will further strengthen the series.

“The race meeting on which the heat will be conducted will be a Showcase meeting, with all other races on the program carrying a minimum of $30,000 prizemoney.”

The Country Championships start on Sunday, February 18, with the Mid North Coast qualifier returning to Port Macquarie, having staged the first regional heat in 2015.

The series then features its double-header weekend at Goulburn on Saturday, February 24, and at Mudgee on Sunday, February 25.

The 2018 Country Championships will be the first occasion on which Mudgee hosts the Central Districts qualifier after being run at Wellington in both 2016 and 2017.

The Southern Districts qualifier returns to Wagga Wagga in early March 2018. 

Grafton, Scone and Dubbo will again all host their region’s qualifying heats next year.

The Northern Rivers heat, which produced Free Standing, winner of the Country Championships Final in 2017, will be run on Sunday, March 11.

The Hunter and North-West qualifier at Scone will take place on Sunday, March 18, with the regional qualifiers rounded out with the Western Region meeting at Dubbo on Sunday, March 25.

The qualifying series will be completed by the Wild Card event scheduled for Muswellbrook Racecourse on Sunday, April 1.