The owners’ celebration champagnes will have a little extra pop and bubble at Melton after The Club Lounge was officially opened on Saturday night.
The ribbon was cut on the $1.3 million facility for Victorian Harness Racing Club members and owners with a participating horse, signalling in a new era of comfort for those most invested in harness racing.
HRV Chairman Dale Monteith was joined by Minster for Racing Anthony Carbines and Victorian Harness Racing Club president Emmy Mazzetti to herald in The Club Lounge, made possible with $945,000 from the State Government’s Victorian Racing Industry Fund and $322,000 from HRV.
“We want to make sure we are investing in the people, the participants, our members, our clubs, our owners and everyone who makes a contribution to our industry, that’s what the (VRIF) fund is about,” Carbines said at the opening.
“When it comes down to it it’s about showing respect to the people have earned it. They’ve earned a good place to catch up, share the wins, commiserate on the losses and talk about what might have been.”
Monteith said the project had been “a long time coming” and was a “wonderful facility”.
“The room has a capacity for 90 people seated or 120 people standing, a private bar (and) exceptional trackside views,” he said.
“The Club Lounge is here to be used by Victorian Harness Racing Club members in the 80 or so meetings we have here at Melton, and from the end of May owners with participating horses at Melton will also be welcome to enjoy the facility and celebrate in the new winning owners’ room.”
One regular face will be that of Mazzetti, the club president who said the room “has been a long time coming”.
“It’s really special to our members and our owners,” he said. “It’s something we’ve been campaigning for a long, long time. In the Moonee Valley days we had a fantastic facility there and to come to this today is just beautiful.”
To become a Victorian Harness Racing Club member and be able to access The Club Lounge every Melton meeting click here.
WATCH: JASON BONNINGTON CHATED WITH ANTHONY CARBINES ON TROTSVISION IN THE CLUB LOUNGE
