It is a great honour to join Racing Victoria as its Chief Executive and to do so when the sport is so healthy and vibrant.
All in Victorian racing did a monumental job to ensure the industry survived and thrived through the COVID pandemic.
This allowed Victorian racing to achieve record levels of fan and punter engagement, deliver unprecedented returns to owners and other participants and to continue to invest in our future.
Quite simply there has never been a better time to own a racehorse in Victoria.
Over $319 million in prizemoney and bonuses will be offered in Victoria in the 2022-23 racing season – at a nation-high average of more than $73,750 per race.
Prizemoney and bonuses on offer in Victoria have grown by nearly $150 million since 2015 – over $31 million of that coming in this season alone.
Country and metropolitan minimum prizemoney in Victoria is the equal of any and our Group and Listed minimums continue to set the national benchmark.
Country minimums (TAB and non-TAB) have increased by at least 80% since 2015, as has the minimum prizemoney offered for most Saturday metropolitan races.
This season, the connections of horses winning a standard Saturday metropolitan two-year-old, three-year-old, open handicap or benchmark race of 90 or higher in Victoria, will pocket $80,025 after welfare deductions – again a nation high.
Throw in the lucrative VOBIS bonuses and those owners who chose to race their horses in Victoria this season will be well-rewarded.
We are excited to expand our VOBIS program to include the VOBIS Sires Boost which provides $30,000 in vouchers to the connections of eligible winners to reinvest in their next horse by a VOBIS Sires stallion.
A total of $7.5 million in Boost vouchers will be offered this season which takes the total annual offering of the VOBIS program to over $30 million in bonuses and prizemoney.
To find out more information about VOBIS Sires Boost click here.
We are on the eve of the 2022 Spring Racing Carnival and, together with race clubs across the state, we’re excited at the prospect of welcoming crowds back after a two-year hiatus.
No one does spring racing like Victoria and the three months that awaits will be a celebration of great racing and social connection with family, friends and community.
The Victorian Spring Racing Carnival kicks off on Saturday, 27 August at Caulfield with the $1 million Memsie Stakes (1400m) and runs through to the final weekend in November with the Zipping Classic at Caulfield and the Jericho Cup at Warrnambool.
Included within is a revamped finale to the Melbourne Cup Carnival with the VRC Champions Stakes Day at Flemington showcasing three $3 million Group 1 races to end Cup Week on a high.
Equally important will be the return to glory of iconic once-a-year country cup meetings at places like Dunkeld, Manangatang, Gunbower and Wycheproof where racing unites the local community.
The opportunities are plentiful in Victoria for owners and I for one am looking forward to the great vision of winning celebrations on our racetracks in the months ahead.
Thank you for your support of Victorian racing and best of luck for our Spring Racing Carnival and the season ahead. May your horse be first past the post.
Andrew Jones
Chief Executive
Racing Victoria