Racing Victoria faces opposition from metropolitan clubs and stakeholders on 10th race future

The toll on Melbourne’s premier racetracks and midweek field sizes are battlegrounds in a debate around the future of 10-race Saturday metropolitan fixtures.

The toll on tracks is central to the 10th race debate. Picture: Brett Holburt/Racing Photos via Getty Images

The toll on Melbourne’s premier racetracks and midweek field sizes are battlegrounds in a debate around the future of 10-race Saturday metropolitan fixtures.

Racing Victoria has projected a net industry benefit of $2.2m-plus, after total prizemoney paid ($2.7m), for the nine-month trial, which concluded last Saturday.

The trial was cut to nine months — from 12 originally — to lessen the wear and tear on tracks during winter when wagering turnover is lower and net benefit “not as significant”.

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A 10th race was added to 34 Saturday programs, from August 1 last year, to help arrest the decline in wagering turnover – 10 to 15 per cent nationally post the Covid betting boom.

RV executive general manager Matt Welsh is set to renew talks with club executives and participant representatives this week after a preliminary discussion last Thursday.

“The consultation has already kicked off and we’ll do that over the next couple of weeks and between us land on what we think is a suitable model for the 10th race,” Welsh said.

“It has been quite lucrative for the industry at a time when we are facing a few headwinds, it’s going to end up $2.2m-plus of net revenue back to the industry … that can be reinvested back into prizemoney, club funding, these sorts of things, that otherwise we wouldn’t have.

“If you were to take it away you’re looking at a near enough $5m hole (including prizemoney paid) you’re trying to fill in another way, but we’re also mindful of the other implications and feedback from clubs.”

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Racenet has established the major concern of clubs particularly is track degradation.

Welsh confirmed feedback from the Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley track managers would form part of the review.

Way Up High (green cap) wins at Sandown Hillside on Saturday.

He reserved a personal opinion on overall track conditions, “what is attributable to the 10th race and what is prevailing factors (weather and schedule)”, until meeting with “the absolute experts”.

“I’d probably rely on the feedback from clubs, which we’re getting at the moment, it would be a bit premature to comment without feedback from the track managers themselves,” Welsh said.

“That feedback is certainly going to be part of the consultation period and put into the mix when assessing the trial and how the 10th race moves forward.”

Welsh conceded field sizes on Wednesdays and Friday nights dipped year-on-year.

“They’ve been down slightly and we’re certainly putting that into the mix as part of the trial,” Welsh said.

“There could be a range of reasons for that, and at the end of the day, that comes down to programming as well, that’s certainly something being assessed as part of the consultation.”

The new $80,000 Saturday race has enticed trainers and owners of Benchmark 70-type horses typically to target those events over equivalent $37,500 to $55,000 midweek contests.

The spread of winners has been a welcome by-product of the 10th race trial.

Ballarat-based Dan O’Sullivan last Saturday became the 27th individual trainer to win one of the 34 races added to the metropolitan program when Way Up High saluted at Sandown.

RV has until mid-June to confirm the 2024-25 schedule.

The regulator last week released the new calendar, from August 1, with caveats on selected proposals yet to be approved, including the 10th race.

Originally published as Racing Victoria faces opposition from metropolitan clubs and stakeholders on 10th race future