The Tasracing Annual Report was tabled in the Parliament of Tasmania on Wednesday 16 October 2024.
The past five years of operations have seen substantial improvements across all aspects of the Tasmanian racing industry.
Highlights of the 2024 annual report include:
- Prize money and Industry funding increased $0.48 million to $40.40 million ($39.92 million in 2022/23). This included a $1.38 million (3.9 per cent) increase in code funding.
- Total stakes money paid during the year across the three codes of racing increased $2.1 million to $32.86 million ($30.76 million in 2022/23).
- In the thoroughbred code, for the fourth time, and first time since 2008, John Blacker won the Australian Trainers Association Tasmanian Leading Trainer award with 68 winners and Anthony Darmanin won the Tasmanian Racing Club Tasmanian Leading Jockey Award for the first time with 57 wins.
- In the harness code, Tasracing purchased a slot for three years in the 2300-metre TAB Eureka for a Tasmanian-owned or bred horse to compete for $2.1 million in prize money in the world’s richest harness race. To select Tasmania’s representative, Tasracing holds an $80k race in Hobart named after the state’s best pacer in the modern era, Beautide. The inaugural Beautide race was won by Magician, which finished fourth in the Eureka final.
- In greyhounds, Tasmania’s feature Group 1 race, the Hobart Thousand, was won by Victorian visitor Crackerjack Bull, with the Group 2 Launceston Cup won by locally trained Fast Minardi Hili. The Group 3 Devonport Chase was won by the locally-trained Raiders Guide.
- Animal welfare is of critical importance to Tasracing across the three codes of racing. To demonstrate this, the company is:
- Continuing to invest in track infrastructure improvements that prioritise safety considerations.
- Enhancing and refocussing industry incentive programs to drive optimal welfare outcomes.
- Continuing to invest heavily in the Greyhound Adoption Program (GAP) with increased staffing levels, staff training and process refinements.
- Expanding the equine Off-The-Track (OTT) program to drive further demand for retired racehorses and help forge the bond between the OTT horse and its new rider.
- Drafting enforceable codes of practice for equine and greyhound welfare, which will provide guidance to the industry and reassurance to the public.
- Continuing to implement recommendations of the Sykes Review on animal welfare.
- Providing training support to industry participants and owners as well as information to the public on animal welfare matters.
- Elwick’s Tracks and Facilities Manager Chris Hay was recognised as the best turf manager in Australia when he won the prestigious Australian Sports Turf Managers Association’s (ASTMA) Excellence in Sportsfields and Grounds Management Award in June.
The Tasmanian racing industry’s economic contribution to the state is continuing to grow. It is important to recognise the role the industry plays in the state’s economy in terms of spending and employment. It is equally important to recognise the role the industry plays in developing and preserving social and community benefits in the state.
Tasracing are committed to the growth and sustainability of the racing industry and will continue to strengthen the performance of the Company and, by extension, the Tasmanian racing industry.