For 19 country race clubs across New South Wales, the announcement of substantial prizemoney boosts to their major races represents a windfall which would have taken many of them years to achieve on their own.
From Albury to Lismore and from the thoroughbred heartland of Scone to Mudgee and Moruya, clubs are resetting their sights for the 2019-20 season, with the potential benefits extending from bigger and better fields, to bigger crowds and stronger returns to owners to significant economic boosts for the local economies.
For Port Macquarie, which stages its Cup carnival in October, it has enabled it to increase the prizemoney of its Cup to $200,000, having sat at $100,000 just two years ago.
Port Macquarie Race Club
"It was welcome news, and it certainly wasn't expected," Port Macquarie Race Club chief executive Michael Bowman said. "We have had the benefit of an increase to $150,000 the past two years, so to go to that next level is fantastic."
What is also significant is the increase to other feature races, with the Port Macquarie Sprint to $60,000 and the 1500m Open Hcp to $50,000, plus the establishment of the $50,000 Country Magic race, which will be for Class 1 horses over 1200m.
"It was welcome news, and it certainly wasn't expected." - Port Macquarie Race Club chief executive, Michael Bowman
Bowman believes the spread of money across a variety of races will encourage stables to bring multiple runners to the carnival, increasing both the size and quality of race fields.
"They'll obviously come from far and wide," he said. "Stables who might have a 2000m horse and a 1200m horse may think about throwing another on the truck or taking a team up here."
It also enables these country meetings to become regional and statewide events, rather than just impact on a local level.
Success on a Plate
The Wagga Wagga Town Plate carnival, held in early May, has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and will also benefit with the Town Plate, which subsequent five-time Group 1 winning sprinter Santa Ana Lane (Lope de Vega {Ire}) won in 2017, increased by $50,000 to $200,000 and the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup increased from $170,000 to the same amount.
The Murrumbidgee Turf Club
"It really does cement our Cup carnival as one of the premier carnivals on the racing calendar, not only just in New South Wales but Australia-wide," Murrumbidgee Turf Club CEO Steve Keene said.
"It will be really exciting to see the calibre of horses, trainers and jockeys that we are able to get here for next year's carnival."
"It really does cement our Cup carnival as one of the premier carnivals on the racing calendar." - Murrumbidgee Turf Club CEO, Steve Keene
Similarly to Port Macquarie, Keene expects larger teams from the bigger stables, increasing the quality of races on offer.
Beyond that, it also creates a real sense of destination about the event, something increased by the NRL's decision to stage a Canberra Raiders' match on the Saturday following the two-day meeting.
"We can only grow larger from here. All the restaurants fill, all the hotels are booked out months in advance, so it really does give a great economic boost to the community and one that will continue to happen in the future," he said.
The widespread nature of the funding is also significant in that it gives broad support to the industry and underpins its economics.
Country races give a great economic boost to their communities
Industry floats on rising tide
The strength that it creates across the industry is what Scone Race Club chief executive Heath Courtney sees as the most important aspect.
The club saw prizemoney for the Scone Cup and Dark Jewel Quality increased by $20,000 to $200,000. The club already holds metropolitan status for its major meeting, so while the boost is welcoming, it doesn’t change things as much as it does for many of the surrounding clubs.
"We have a bit of a unique case in having that metropolitan status carnival. But it’s an amazing concept for the industry as a whole. Our neighbouring clubs in Tamworth and Muswellbrook have been rewarded very well and should see their own carnivals prosper as a result," he said.
"It’s enormous for our region and obviously for New South Wales."
"It’s an amazing concept for the industry as a whole." - Scone Race Club chief executive, Heath Courtney
Courtney feels the commitment shown by Racing NSW will have owners across Australia considering the option of moving their horses to regional areas.
"It doesn't just necessarily just improve those carnivals, it's got the bigger picture to it as well. If you can increase the horse populations in these regions where the money has been allocated it has an onflow effect for racing every day of the week, with increased field sizes," he said.
"That's great for our product and the longevity of it."
He also predicts it will also provide a boost to the prospects of locally-based trainers.
"The significance of a trainer and an owner to bring a horse from their own stables on their home track to compete for such significant prizemoney, to have the spread across the whole region, shows great equality across the state," he said.
"They no longer have to travel significant distances to have an opportunity to do that. A lot can be said for that."
