The who’s who of Victorian racing were present at Shepparton Harness Racing Club on Thursday to have a look at the progress of its new training facility.
Racing Minister Anthony Carbines and Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) chairman Dale Monteith joined Shepparton Harness Racing Club representatives Ian McDonald (general manager) and Chris Hazleman (president) for a full tour of the precinct.
Local politicians Suzanna Sheed and Mark Gepp and City of Greater Shepparton Mayor Shane Sali were also in attendance and cast their eye over the $1.5 million project.
The state-of-the-art training centre, which is set to be completed within the next month, includes 68 boxes for horses and will provide an opportunity for trainers from across the country to house their horses at one of the state’s premier harness facilities.
The make-up of the training centre is aimed at boosting participation in the industry and reducing the barriers to entry that currently exist for up-and-coming harness trainers.
Following his tour of the facility Carbines said he was impressed with how the upgrades were progressing.
“It has just been a fantastic effort from both the Shepparton harness club and Harness Racing Victoria, it has been a big team effort,” Carbines said.
“This project is about securing across Shepparton and regional Victoria a big boost to the harness racing industry and a long-term investment to help grow the sport.
“And to do that here in Shepparton, which is absolutely the right location, it will be a great base for trainers across the country to launch from and this investment will go a long way to securing the industry in a way that is going to help grow the industry.”
A major part of this project is to give up-and-coming trainers an opportunity to launch their careers without the exorbitant costs associated with buying their own property.
Carbines said it would be exciting to see trainers given a chance at the Shepparton-based facility.
“I already heard from some of the committee today that there are a range of new trainers who have taken up the opportunity and see the potential and capacity that is available here at Shepparton,” he said.
“To grow the capacity of horses from 60 to 100 horses that can be housed here, I think there will be a really high demand among trainers, and I think it sets the tone for Shepparton harness moving forward.
“Already there are a lot of commitments from trainers across the country to train their horses here, which is really exciting for the industry.”
Carbines also said Shepparton’s large impact on the harness racing industry in Victoria made it a worthy recipient of the funding boost.
“Shepparton is well known for being a force in harness racing, it contributes some $60 million to the economy off Shepparton alone, that is nearly 500 jobs that are dependant and directly come from harness racing,” he said.
“It is a big player, a big contributor to the economy, so an investment of $1.5 million from both the state government and HRV is an investment into the future.
“They’ve earned this investment and it will continue to see the industry grow in the region.”
Monteith mirrored this excitement of the project’s progress and what it could do for the future of the industry.
“Shepparton Harness Racing Club has been very important for the industry in Victoria for many years,” Monteith said.
“We have good facilities here for the public, but I think in terms of horses, what we saw today with those new stables will add another dimension.
“But more importantly it allows people to come and train here which will sustain the racing here, having a natural horse population very close to the track is a big plus you don’t normally have in harness racing.”