Country Racing Social Impact Study
Country Racing Victoria commissioned La Trobe University to undertake a study into the social impact of race clubs in rural and regional communities in Victoria.
The study found that race clubs provide significant social benefits and that race meetings and race related activities appear to provide significant emotional and financial support to those involved.
Country Racing Victoria Facts & Figures
A great day out is what the thousands of patrons who attend country racing in
Victoria expect and receive. Country Racing Victoria and its 48 professional racing clubs have worked together to ensure Victorian country race meetings are considered entertaining occasions that people return to.
From the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, which is a Victorian Hallmark Tourism Event, to carnivals, Cup days and umbrella campaigns throughout the year that people annually attend, country racing provides entertainment for all ages in a relaxed and fun environment.
Country Racing is made up of...
- 48 race clubs
- 14 picnic racing clubs
- 51 racecourses
- 13 Picnic racecourses
- 403 race meetings in 2008-09 (77% of Victoria’s race meetings in the country)
- 3074 races (cater for 31,333 starters)
- Annual Victorian Economic Impact - $1.046 billion
- Industry investment (jobs and capital) - $5.2 billion
- 19,452 participants (regional
Victoriarepresents 31% of jobs created directly through thoroughbred racing)
- 8092 horses trained in country (80% of
Victoria’s horses trained in regional areas)
- 1094 trainers (89% of trainers based in regional
Victoria)
- 14,842 owners (53% of owners based in regional
Victoria)
- 1657 breeders (78% of breeders based in regional
Victoria)
- Prizemoney of $47.1 million distributed, with $2.9 million in Super Vobis bonuses also paid out at country meetings
- 572,709 people attended a country race meeting in the ’08-’09 season, which was up 2.5% on the year before
- Annual wagering TAB turnover: $562.9 million on country thoroughbred races of $1.310 billion on Victorian thoroughbred races.
Spring Racing Carnival: country race meetings provide a relaxing alternative that compliments the high profile race days conducted in metropolitan
Melbourne.
- Attract 33% of visitors from
Melbourne, 5% from interstate and 1% international
- Estimated that half of the $4.7 million spent on fashion items purchased for the express purpose of attending SRC events was in regional
Victoria
-
Interstate visitors spent $1.6 million on tourism activities pre and post the race meetings attended in
Victoria
-
Interstate visitors spent on average 45% more than Victorian residents when attending regional racing events.
- 186,274 attended a country race meeting in 2008, with attendance up 12% on the year before.
- On Melbourne Cup Day, 23,000 people attended one of the six country race meetings.
- Gross Economic Benefit to regional
Victoria through country racing in spring was $78 million