Provincial racing officials are engaged in a hard-fought battle to attract young people to race meetings – the need to do so identified as one of the industry’s more pressing issues.
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The revelation came as Racing NSW trumpeted its new $1.3 million race for the state's country-trained horses.
With heightened competition among sports to get young bums on seats, Rod Watt, Hunter and North West Racing Association chairman, said racing needed a youth injection.
“I think it needs improvement,” he said of the desire to attract more young racegoers.
“I think the clubs need to concentrate on it, so that it’s a more rounded sport. So that people of all ages get to enjoy racing and the festival of racing and the fun of being at a race track.”
I think the clubs need to concentrate on it [attracting young people] so that it’s a more rounded sport.
Watt said most race clubs in the region had the facilities and prices to appeal to young people.
He said some of the smaller clubs were doing “particularly well” in terms of attracting young punters due, in large part, to the post-meeting entertainment they provided.
Most clubs, he added, were using social media in line with their youth push.
Watt said there had been a “rebirth” of one-day or community clubs where a lot of young people “engage in racing as a festival occasion, rather than a racing occasion”.
Racing NSW announced this week that as part of its new strategic plan it planned to “defray” the costs of owners – “enabling trainers to improve their cash flow and business viability as well as providing a stimulus for improving field sizes” for provincial racing.
Also this week, Racing Minister Paul Toole announced that The Kosciuszko, a $1.3 million race, would be on Everest Day at Royal Randwick on October 13. The race will be restricted to NSW country-trained horses.