In an 11th-hour plea, Warrnambool Racing Club and Napthine urged RVL  and the Victorian Bookmakers Association to overturn their decision, saying the colourful bookie would attract additional punters through the gates and to the betting ring.

But RVL chief executive Bernard Saundry said while the organisation was open to discussions with WRC and the VBA about upgrading the bookmaking status of the 2015  carnival to that of  metropolitan meetings, it would not change the status of this year’s carnival.

''Such a decision requires appropriate consultation with all parties and is not something that we could consider on the eve of this year’s carnival,'' Saundry said.

''Racing Victoria has an agreed policy with the Victorian Bookmakers Association, which affords priority to those bookmakers who have stood at the racecourse in the previous 12 months.''

He said RVL was not prepared to parachute one bookmaker in at the expense of those who have worked at country meetings throughout the season.

''Since being granted his own Victorian licence last November, Mr Waterhouse has stood at three Victorian meetings, all in metropolitan Melbourne,'' Saundry said.

''There are nine other licensed bookmakers that have applied for - and missed out on - a stand at next week’s Warrnambool  carnival because demand was greater than the stands available.

''Mr Waterhouse has been treated no differently to them in reaching this decision.''

Waterhouse, the husband of trainer Gai Waterhouse, told Fairfax Media he had applied for other meetings but without success.

He said he and his wife would attend this year’s carnival despite the decision but may not return to Warrnambool again.

''The decision is no fault of the Warrnambool Racing Club, they have bent over backwards to help us. Gai has commitments at Warrnambool for this year’s carnival and she will fulfil them,'' Waterhouse said.

''I’ve just felt it’s very disappointing that I will not be allowed to work on the rails at the carnival because of the ruling from Racing Victoria.

''I would say if the ruling is not changed by next year, this will be the last Warrnambool May carnival that we will be attending. It’s disappointing because we just loved last year’s carnival, it’s the best country carnival in Australia.''

It is believed Waterhouse held more than $80,000 in bets on one day at last year’s carnival. The bets included $30,000 on-course and more than $50,000 in phone bets from across Australia while he worked on his son Tom’s stand.

Napthine said his role as racing minister was to champion the best interests of racing in Victoria and believed ''colourful'' bookmaker Waterhouse was a draw-card.

''I am aware that what we need in racing is to do everything we can to attract people to the track and attract them to the betting ring,'' he said.

''It would be a win-win for all bookmakers rather than [punters] having a bet on their phones or staying home and having a bet with corporate bookmakers that aren’t even at the track.''

Saundry said while RVL welcomed both  Waterhouse’s and Napthine’s interest in the Warrnambool carnival it did not believe that Waterhouse’s presence in the main bookmaking ring would have a profound effect on the success of the three-day event.

“So we’re not of the opinion that the club is at a disadvantage with this decision,” he said.

WRC chief executive John Green said he was disheartened with the decision.

''It’s just disappointing, the club tries to act within the objective of Racing Victoria to provide racing facilities of the highest excellence and we believe Mr Waterhouse does that in a bookmaker sense,'' Green said.

Green said he would continue talks with RVL in the hope of having the guidelines changed for the 2015 carnival.

''The carnival attracts in excess of 27,000 people over three days of country racing, which is well over the capacity of most metro meetings,''

He said the Warrnambool carnival was Australia’s premier regional racing carnival and there was a ''good case'' for it to be upgraded to metropolitan status.

- with The Warrnambool Standard