Spring not over yet: Quality racing, entertainment driving bumper racing crowds

Racing Victoria has backed strong competition and quality entertainment to drive momentum into the final month of the Melbourne Spring Carnival.

Racing Victoria has backed strong competition and quality entertainment to drive momentum into the last month of the Spring Carnival.

Strong crowds and wider interest in the sport and race day experience has surged on the back of successful Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup carnivals.

The Victorian Spring Carnival will return to Caulfield on Saturday with the Group 1 Thousand Guineas, Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and lucrative Country Cups Final.

The popular Dunkeld Cup, also on Saturday and tipped to attract 8,000 people, is the first of seven country and provincial feature race days building to the Jericho Cup (4600m) at Warrnambool, Australia’s longest flat race on December 1.

RV chief executive Aaron Morrison has welcomed the sport’s resurgence.

Racing Victoria CEO Aaron Morrison takes in the Melbourne Spring Carnival at Flemington. Picture: George Sal / Racing Photos

“Racing is back again with the mainstream audience, contrary to people claiming racing’s demise,” Morrison said.

“The crowds, the demographics of those attending, and the atmosphere on course would tell you a very different story.

“We’ve had some favourable weather, which has helped with attendances, but I think people are wanting to have fun again.”

The Melbourne Cup Carnival has been a success again, with crowds up nine per cent on last year and stronger than expected wagering figures, bucking the annual 10 per cent downward trend.

“Wagering is still probably down year-on-year in terms of the spring overall but we’ve been better than forecast, particularly over the last week,” Morrison said.

“The Melbourne Cup Carnival has been above our forecasts, still slightly under last year – the Melbourne Cup, though, was one out of the box, basically the same year-on-year.

“The Melbourne Cup was a really strong result against an overall wagering trend of a seven to 10 per cent decline. Australians again embraced the cup in huge numbers and tried their luck.”

Morrison said a strong start to the spring “set the tone” for the Cup Carnival and beyond.

“This is where the event side of it and trackside entertainment kicks in,” Morrison said.

“People have come back to the races, (they’ve) come back for great racing but also had a great time.

“It doesn’t just stop here, we’ve got big meetings at Caulfield, Southside (Cranbourne) and all the country race meetings still to come where you can have the same experience.”

“We’ve seen enough of a glimmer, people are saying racing is back in their consideration set, they want to go to the races and they want to be entertained.

“They’ve got an opportunity to continue to do that over the next couple of months with great racing events in Melbourne and throughout country Victoria.”

Originally published as Spring not over yet: Quality racing, entertainment driving bumper racing crowds