By DAVID NAGEL
CHAMPION jockey Damien Oliver described it as “the best track he has ever ridden on”… what a thrilling endorsement for the Pakenham Racing Club’s new home at Racing.com Park, Tynong.
Grand Opening Raceday, at the PRC’s swank-new $72 million home, attracted a crowd of 6000 people last Thursday, all on hand to watch history unfold at Victoria’s first new racetrack to be built in more than 40 years.
Winning doubles to Oliver, Brad Rawiller and Mark Zahra, and to trainers Darren Weir and Leon and Troy Corstens, were the highlights of a memorable afternoon on the track. The PRC was also left smiling despite some teething issues with its satellite transmission, big screen, heavy traffic and congestion in the members’ area.
PRC CEO Michael Hodge said the club could finally take a breath now, albeit a short one, ahead of its next meeting, the Cardinia Shire Raceday on Sunday 12 April.
“The overwhelming feeling is relief but very quickly we have to move onto the next meeting which we think will be just as big,” he said.
“We have some event delivery issues that we need to sort out before then but overall the committee and the club are ecstatic with what took place on day one.”
Hodge was particularly delighted with Oliver’s comments, and also from Zahra, who told the Gazette that the track “is an ideal one for a jockey to ride on”.
“Comments like that from leading industry participants are the perfect recognition and the ultimate measure of what we are trying to achieve here,” Hodge said.
“On top of that our wagering figures were outstanding, up 10 per cent from the average Thursday meeting, and that wagering performance suggests confidence from the consumer that will flow through into other areas. It helps with our aim of securing a stand-alone Saturday meeting in November of 2016.”
Turnover at last week’s meeting was $2.2 million, up more than 50 per cent on the club’s last meeting at Racecourse Road in February 2014.
Hodge also confirmed that preparations were in full swing for the Bruce Clough Mazda Pakenham Cup on Sunday 26 April and for the club’s first synthetic meeting on Tuesday 26 May.
“We’ll have jump outs on the synthetic track in the first week of May with RVL trials locked in for Tuesday 12 May.
“We’re right on track for the first synthetic meeting to take place on Tuesday 26 May.”
The synthetic track will provide the PRC with the capacity to race more than 40 times per year with night racing scheduled to take place in January 2016.
