THE health of Tasmania’s racing industry was on show in Spreyton yesterday for the Devonport Racing Club’s Cup meeting.
A crowd of between 5500 and 6000 rolled through the gates, dispersing to the wide array of marquees throughout the venue.
A strong contingent of the next generation of race goers and participants – 18 to 30-year-olds, along with young families, made for one of the best cup day crowds of recent years.
UBET’s on course facilities were well patronised, with strong on-course turnover numbers expected.
DRC Chairman Barry Milton said this year’s event had achieved the desired results.
“We have achieved what we did last year as the crowd was on a par or maybe slightly better which is a great result,” Milton said.
“The evidence of growth was there for all to see, the lawn area was full but not over-crowded but we had big crowds at the back of the stands as well which made the overall atmosphere something special,” he said.
Tasracing CEO Dr Eliot Forbes praised the DRC for their work on making the day such a great success: “Barry Milton and his Committee and volunteers did a fantastic job in putting on one of the state’s favourite race days. The working relationships between Tasracing and the DRC is strong, showcasing the quality of outcomes in terms of race day attendance, racing operations and turnover that can be achieved through collaboration”.
Dr Forbes also highlighted the strong participant support of the event: “Owner, trainer and jockey support was also very strong, with the state’s leading racing outfits represented, along with a number of top notch interstate jockeys including Craig Newitt, Dean Holland, Damien Thornton, Anthony Darmanian, Boris Thornton, Stephanie Thornton and Jackie Beriman”.