October
FebruaryNo trainers, no sport
Bi- and tri-code racetracks are common in the bush, because country folk have long understood the need to fully utilise facilities, and get value for money.
Thankfully some metropolitan race clubs are starting to get the idea, with music festivals and the like on non-race days. But I wonder if some forget their main objective, racing.
Surely kicking out trainers and their on-course horse population, so they can make more noise at the race club is going too far? A NSW Central Coast club recently failed trying to do something very similar.
I hear constant rumours that some metro training centres have a doubtful future. Are city councils the problem, or is it race clubs that have a beef with training?
Country towns would welcome with open arms the extra population in their town and training centres. But many trainers have spent a fortune on facilities on course, which are not worth much if training at that track stops.
Racing (like any industry) needs to tighten its belt, keep itself viable by trying new things, doing old things smarter, cutting costs and finding new income streams.
But without somewhere to train horses, race clubs wouldn’t be needed.
Mooney Valley is different. It’s never had training, and it owns its own land.
Congrats to MVRC for being smart enough to know that to guarantee its future, it had to subdivide into enough on-course condominiums to subsidise its racing.
I’m sure it will successfully hold many non-racing functions, as well as almost weekly — mostly Friday night — meetings on a nice new oval track.
If I were a racing party animal, with a few bob for a trackside condo, I’m sure I’d enjoy the new Mooney Valley. I’d become a member at Flemington too.
With the two inner-city courses so close together, I’d imagine it will be a bit like a mini Hong Kong, and am looking forward to the redevelopment of both.
I’m sure I’ll be just as pleased with the result as I was with Racing.com Park, Pakenham.
Wangaratta (Vic)