The three-week TAB FastTrack 1200 drew large nominations and wagering growth to signal a promising future for sprints on Victoria’s harness racing calendar.

The 18-race mid-week Melton trial produced above average turnover, with signs the concept was well received by participants, punters and media partners.

Harness Racing Victoria chief executive Matt Isaacs said turnover was up about a third on each night, a strong signal punters welcomed short-course racing.

“There were a lot of key performance indicators attached to the three-week trial, but chief among them were turnover and nominations,” Isaacs said.

“We wanted to reaffirm that punters would wager with confidence on the product, and it’s clear they will, and that participants want to race in these sprints, and the nominations prove they do.”

HRV Head of Wagering Michael Teal said turnover in the TAB FastTrack 1200 sprint races exceeded targets set for the series.

“Compared to the preceding eight-week average, turnover was up 42 per cent on night one, 30 per cent on night two and 38 per cent on night three,” Teal said.

“Pleasingly, we received great support from wagering service providers for the series, including the TAB through First 4 jackpots, which helped to contribute to between 13 and 16 per cent more punters actively engaging with our product.”

HRV General Manager of Racing Stephen Bell said it was great to see participants support the venture.

“We were hoping to surpass 15 races and 150 nominations across the TAB FastTrack 1200 and so it was terrific to see 18 races and 200 nominations,” Bell said.

“Having another racing product that’s attractive for trainers, as well as punters, is a big positive. It reaffirms there is a space for sprint racing within our wider programming.”

HRV Chief Commercial Officer Fiona Mellor said she appreciated the support media partners showed the series.

“It was fantastic to see Sky Racing in particular support this harness racing initiative with increased lead-in time before races on nights two and three, which enabled our callers Dan Mielicki and Luke Humphreys to better engage viewers,” Mellor said.

“This support is invaluable, talking directly to punters, but it was also terrific to see our radio partners RSN 927 and SEN Track provide additional coverage. This was a direct reflection of their seeing value in this type of product.”

In addition to providing race night support, SEN also hosted SEN Survivor, which received more than 1400 entries across the three nights.

Isaacs said all findings would now be reviewed and considered for future implementation.

“We’ve learned a lot from this trial and it has been overwhelmingly positive,” he said.

“Among the takeaways are an appetite for sprint race as part of our wider racing product, the value of a regular mid-week metropolitan meeting and a reminder of how leveraging the great relationships we have with our participants and wagering and media partners can help move the needle.”