AN analysis of the recent 2015 Betfair Tasmanian Summer Racing Carnival (TSRC) has revealed more than 80 per cent ($2.2 million) of stakes was won by Tasmanian horses.
Tasracing chief executive officer Eliot Forbes said this was an increase compared to last year when about 70 per cent of carnival stakes stayed in Tasmania for the benefit of the industry and the economy.
“The carnival is very competitive,” he said.
“Putting it simply, Tasmanian-bred and trained horses just dominated. They are not just competing against horses from interstate, they are winning the major races.
“The results are even more impressive when you consider that the locals were racing against an increased number of interstate horses compared to last year (39 compared to 31).”
Only five of the feature races were won by interstate horses, including the Group 3 Bow Mistress (I Love It) and the Group 3 Vamos Stakes (Vibrant Rouge).
Dr Forbes said two Tasmanian horses – Geegees Blackflash and Genuine Lad – won the Betfair Hobart and Betfair Launceston Cups respectively, which was an outstanding result.
“It is also important to highlight the overall performance of horses owned by Paul and Elizabeth Geard, winning seven of the carnival’s feature races,” he said.
“It was an outstanding result for the Geard family and reward for its strong and longstanding commitment to the racing and breeding industries in Tasmania.”
Dr Forbes said there were 11 race meetings in 2015 compared to 10 last year, while field sizes increased from an average 10.4 starters to 10.8 starters.
Turnover on the Betfair Hobart Cup meeting ($6.6 million) increased by 44 per cent compared to last year’s postponed meeting, though it was in line with 2013 figures, while turnover on the Betfair Launceston Cup meeting ($8.2 million) increased by 10 per cent.
Turnover on the Betfair Launceston Cup race alone was $2.2 million. $1.6 million was wagered on the Betfair Hobart Cup, while the Tattsbet Thomas Lyons Stakes, which featured The Cleaner, also turned over $1.6 million.
Dr Forbes said the 2015 TSRC was a success from every perspective.
“Events like the TSRC do not succeed by accident,” he said.
“A lot of hard work by many people – both within Tasracing and the host clubs – contributed to the overall success of the carnival.
“The performance of our tracks, our ability to attract quality interstate horses, trainers and jockeys and the strong performance of our local horses, combined with our digital and traditional promotion of the event, all contributed to its success.
“The carnival enjoyed a massive increase in reach through social media, while web traffic to Tasracing’s site also increased significantly during the carnival period.”