They’re racing – socially, that is

Racing Victoria Limited told us, officially, today that the spring racing carnival is upon us when it launched a  ”spectacular 50 days of racing, fashion, fun and excitement across the state”.

The launch was made for television and pointed squarely at the huge and growing party part of the racing carnival. And it was well done.

Incongruously, the racing opener today was a nondescript midweek Moonee Valley meeting of seven $30,000 restricted races bolstered significantly by a late addition, a $100,000 handicap over 2500 metres that featured the bulk of the field from the R.M. Ansett Classic, a race lost with the abandonment of Mornington’s meeting last (wet) Saturday. It was won by recent Ellerslie (NZ) winner Sand Hawk.

The classy contests at Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley, including last Friday’s Group 1 Manikato Stakes night meeting, have been pigeon-holed in the pre-party category. 

A low-key start such as today’s would be better ignored – not too hard a task – with Day 1 saved for the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes meeting at Flemington on Saturday, a curtain-raiser for Melbourne Cup week, a $40 million extravaganza put on by the Victoria Racing Club early in November.

Industry spruikers Rob Hulls (racing minister) and Rob Hines (RVL chief executive) talked up their patch, Hines saying: “As our marketing catchcry says, ‘it’s BIGGER than you think’, and that’s certainly the case with this year’s carnival, which incorporates 89 race meetings and offers $41million in prize money.

“With over 20 country cups to be run across Victoria during the carnival, everyone in the state can share in the excitement, as too can the thousands of interstate and international visitors who descend on Victoria each year for the carnival.

“Over 750,000 people attended last year’s spring racing carnival and collectively they provided more than $548million in economic benefit to the state of Victoria which further emphasises the size of this event.”

Ironically, the man named as the new carnival spruiker is Tommy Little. A comedian-MC, Little won the job and a $10,000 prize from a field of wannabes, and he promised heaps of funs and excitement, including him sky diving into Flemington on Melbourne Cup day dressed as a horse with his tandem instructor, dressed as a jockey, on his back.

The carnival’s marquee races are the $5.65million Melbourne Cup (3 November, Flemington), the $2.5million Caulfield Cup (17 October, Caulfield) and $3million Cox Plate (24 October, Moonee Valley).

In the arbitrary September 30-November 18 (Ballarat Cup) period there are 13 metropolitan and 76 country race meetings, with 18 Group 1 races on the big days.

And government and the racing industry will be looking to improve on these figures quoted from last year:

attendance of 758,000, including 93,847 from interstate;

more than $549million gross economic benefit;

and more than $40million spent on fashion items (54,694 hats, 51.969 pairs of shoes, 46,357 dresses and 39,205 suits and ties).

In the long run, however, the figures that count for regular racegoers are the numbers and prices of race winners.

One who will play a role in boosting or reducing punters’ fortunes is Craig Williams, champion jockey for the past four seasons. At the launch he listed his rides in the first few big races – Trusting in the Caulfield Guineas (October 10), My Emotion in the Thousand Guineas (October 14) and Vigor in the Caulfield Cup (October 17). All are high up in the markets and, he said, are good rides.

One to watch before then could be Ortensia, in the Baguette Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday – Williams regards the mare highly, and has four wins from six rides on her.

An early win might help pay for that suit or shoes or fascinator, or simply give you a spring punting bank.