Forbes Jockey Club has welcomed this week’s announcement of a boost to prizemoney in country racing.
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The increase in minimum prizemoney of $20,000 per TAB race and the introduction of 40 new ‘showcase’ meetings across country NSW was announced in Dubbo on Tuesday by Racing NSW chairman John Messara, CEO Peter V’landys and NSW racing minister Troy Grant.
The $21 million boost to the state’s prizemoney pool will take effect in July next year, potentially in time for Forbes Jockey Club’s Forbes Cup meeting the following month.
The changes were announced only a week after tax parity legislation was passed in the NSW Parliament to bring this state’s racing and gaming industry into line with Victoria.
Forbes Jockey Club this week welcomed the news, particularly the legislated changes to the Betting Tax Act (2001) and Totalizator Act (1997).
“Any increase in prizemoney to country racing is something we welcome with open arms,” said jockey club secretary Blake Nicholson.
“We’re very interested in the context of the country showcase meetings and we’d love to try to secure one of those to Forbes and we will certainly be speaking with Racing NSW about that,” he said.
Mr Nicholson said a more attractive prize pool should lead to stronger quality fields at country racing, but hopes the benefits flow on to trainers and owners.
“Trainers and owners certainly struggle with the costs associated with racehorse ownership, and hopefully this will translate to the strengthening of country racing.
“Taxation parity is something that has been long overdue, and the [NSW] industry would certainly welcome that,” he said.
Earlier this year Mr Messara told Fairfax Media that the need for structural change, as well as an increase in prizemoney, had been strongly conveyed to him by trainers.
“Nearly every trainer you talk to is saying we need help and without tax parity we cannot implement our strategic plan were we have detailed our plan for the future,” Mr Messara said in July.
Forbes Jockey Club’s most recent meeting was its Spring Races on October 10. The next meeting will be its TAB meeting on the first Monday in August 2016.
