Victoria’s Saturday metro meetings will feature 10 races for an eight-month stretch in the 2024–25 season, as announced by Racing Victoria (RV).
The series kicks off with the Group 1 Memsie Stakes event on August 31 and wraps up on April 26, 2025, at Caulfield.
In a trial spanning from August 2023 to May 2024, the introduction of 10 race cards resulted in $5 million in betting revenue and an extra $2.8 million in prize money.
Matt Welsh, RV’s Executive General Manager for Racing, mentioned that the scheduling of these extended cards would coincide with periods of daylight hours.
Welsh highlighted how the decision strikes a balance between maximising industry returns and ensuring track efficiency and participant well-being.
He pointed out that while Saturday city meetings make up 10% of their offerings, they drive 40% of wagering activity.
The addition of the race has proven beneficial by meeting customer demand and boosting revenue to support the sport.
To address concerns about race day duration, Welsh stressed their commitment to keeping any extensions minimal, typically limited to around 15 minutes extra per event.
Looking ahead to the season, he shared plans to kick off these scheduled 10 race cards no earlier than noon, and the prize money for the race 10 will remain at $80,000.
The Victoria Racing Club has decided to keep Derby Day and Champions Day during the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington as nine race meetings.
Additionally, Sandown will host eight races on AFL Grand Final Day.
Horse racing news
