Harness Racing Victoria’s efforts to promote the Victoria Cup last Saturday appear to have paid off following the release of the evening’s statistics.
Such was the caliber of the top class field that betting turnover on the event was up 67 per cent on last year, making this year’s edition Victoria’s second highest harness race ever.
HRV CEO Matt Isaacs was optimistic in his analysis.
“It is extremely satisfying to see the great involvement from fans and punters for a sensational evening at Melton Entertainment Park,“ said Isaac. “This is a well-deserved reward for a hard-working industry that produces an elite product, especially the talented participants, but also our partners, including at Channel 7 and Sportsbet, and the small, dedicated teams behind the scenes, including at HRV and Melton.”
“The total card was Victoria’s sixth highest for turnover at a running meet with a recent record, showing an incredible connection with a wide audience and reflecting industry trends.”
Indeed, such impressive figures were testament to the quality of all five Group 1 events and the supporting card. It was heartening to see a packed crowd on the front lawn cheering at every event, especially the Victoria Cup itself.
As for the racing, it couldn’t have gone better for the promoters.
A promising field of two-year-olds battled it out in the Shakamaker Classic, with Micheal Stanley’s stylish pair of Soho Park Avenue (Bettors Delight) and Soho Charmer battling it out to the finish, with the former winning impressively. Both stallions have a healthy future and next season’s derbies beckon.
The Victoria Oaks was won by Soho Americano (American Ideal), who kept all her rivals at bay. The little filly finished a close second in the New South Wales Oaks, but won the Queensland Oaks in July. Beach Diamond, who came back from the field, was brave and finished a close second place.
The appearance of favorite trotting mare Keayang Zahara (Volstead) is said to have been a factor in attracting crowd numbers and she did not let her supporters down with a full win in the Bill Collins Sprint. It was her 17e she wins from 18 starts and she keeps getting stronger. However, the event revealed a new star: Keayang Zahara’s stablemate Jilliby Ballerini, who has come on in leaps and bounds since last season.
Fox Dan (Art Major) looks unstoppable after his gutsy win in the Victoria Derby Final and is certain to move up into the top flight of pacers for next season. After a somewhat unlucky second place in the Eureka Fox, Dan is looking top class and ready to be a big hit when he graduates into a top company.
The highlight of the evening was Kingman’s (Always B Miki) excellent final sprint to win the Victoria Cup. He has come on leaps and bounds since joining Luke McCarthy’s stable and is already being touted as a serious contender at the Summer Carnival of Cups, including the AG Hunter early next year.
Tracy The Jet (Love You) looks every bit a rising star as she put in a great display of front running to take out the Victoria Oaks and lower the colors of New South Wales Derby and Oaks winner Gatesys Gem. Both fillies are a cut above the other fillies currently racing and are sure to see some intriguing clashes in the future.
And mention must also be made of the consistent mare Surfingmakescents (Vincent) who showed great perseverance in winning the Group 3 Ladyship Cup.
The evening’s driving honors went to Luke McCarthy, who secured a treble and re-established his reputation as the master of big tickets and classic features.
The other factor in Melton’s highly successful evening was the presence of interstate runners with representatives from New South Wales, Queensland, New Zealand and Tasmania. As with thoroughbred racing, bringing together the best from each state to compete against locals is a surefire way to attract audiences and increase betting turnover.
Harness Racing in Victoria is now heading towards the Summer Carnival of Cups, but before that we have the Vicbred Super Series in November, followed by the Breeders Crown in December.
By Tony Milanese for Harnesslink
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