RV yesterday unveiled its 2014-15 racing calendar with the Sportsbet.com.au Ballarat Cup on Saturday, November 22, being one of the key changes.

The release of all racing dates confirms Racing Victoria’s announcement late last year that the Ballarat Turf Club’s sustained campaign to move its Cup Day from a Sunday to a Saturday was successful.

The calendar, which has 555 race meetings, features the first steps in a restructure in line with strategic plan.

A total of 13 meetings – five country TAB, seven non-TAB and one picnic – have been removed to better match the racing calendar with the horse population and to maximise infrastructure use.

Most of the meetings have been removed from Saturdays or Sundays in January to March.

Other key developments:

• Addition of a ninth race at Saturday metropolitan meetings.

•  Extension of selected Sunday country meetings to nine and 10 race cards.

• New Pakenham racecourse at Tynong will have the first of eight turf meetings for the season in March.

• Night racing expansion.

Ballarat Turf Club 2014-15 racing dates:

Sunday, August 10

Thursday, August 28

Sunday September 7

Sunday, September 21 (Gold Nugget)

Wednesday, October 1

Wednesday, October 8

Thursday, October 23

Monday, November 3

Saturday, November 22 (Ballarat Cup)

Thursday, January 8

Sunday, January 18

Wednesday, January 28

Thursday, February 12

Thursday, February 19 

Thursday, February 26

Thursday, March 5

Thursday, March 12

Sunday, March 29

Thursday, April 23

Thursday, April 30

Sunday, May 10

Thursday, May 21

Sunday, May 31

Thursday, June 18

Thursday, July 2

Thursday, July 16

Wednesday, July 29

MAD Robber completed a full circle for sire Robin Hood at Ballarat harness races on Tuesday night.

He became the first progeny of former champion Robin Hood to win on the track.

Bray Raceway was the setting for one of Robin Hood’s greatest triumphs – the 2006 Ballarat Pacing Cup.

Also trained by Smythes Creek-based Peter Tonkin, Mad Robber ($2.50 favourite) had his third career win in the Bob Freeman Memorial 3yo Pace, 2200m.

Despite his outstanding race record – 24 wins for almost $800,000 in stakes – Robin Hood has had only limited opportunities at stud.

He has had just seven of his progeny get to the races, with four winners.

PACIFIC Maddi ($19.80) provided one of the upsets of the night in the Kevin Foley Memorial C1/better Handicap, 2200m.

Prepared by the Allendale father and son team of Allan and Adam Stephens, Pacific Maddi had only her second lifetime win.

david.brehaut@fairfaxmedia.com.au