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CleThis year’s Breeders Crown Finals meeting returned a 28 per cent year-on-year increase in Victorian TAB turnover on the corresponding meeting last year, Harness Racing Victoria confirmed.
It is expected overall turnover figures once compiled from all wagering service providers will also show significant increases.
The meeting was moved to a Saturday night timeslot this year (August 25) away from the previous Sunday afternoon slot, with Tabcorp Park reporting that all dining rooms were heavily booked.
“Pleasingly there were reasonable numbers of people on the lawn for the early races, and the overall crowd was up, albeit that wasn’t hard given the horrible day last year weatherise, with rain and hail,” Harness Racing Victoria CEO David Martin said.
“We know it is always harder to attract a big crowd during the cooler months, so we will continue to explore ways to maximise outcomes for the benefit of the industry by showcasing our best product in the best timeslots. On this occasion the move to Saturday night was clearly a success.”
Mr Martin praised media partners RSN927, Sky Racing and Trots Vision’s coverage of the night, the latter featuring live-streamed post-race interviews with on-track MC Rob Auber – including Auber’s carriage ride conversations with winning connections.
“Rob’s idea to interview connections in the carriage was fantastic and added an extra element to both the Trots Vision coverage and the on-track experience,” Mr Martin said.
“I’d also like to acknowledge the efforts of Sky Racing and their team across the entire TAB Breeders Crown series and RSN for their support, which included pre-race late mail from our form experts Blake Redden and Jason Bonnington.”
Tabcorp Park Melton is now gearing up for its spring party meeting, the Pryde’s EasiFeed Victoria Cup on Saturday night October 13, which will feature a Pryde’s EasiFeed Food Truck Precinct, a live DJ, an outdoor bar, an after-party and loads of family-friendly activities throughout the meeting.
More details at tabcorppark.com.au
