JUMPS RACING CONTINUES TO GROW IN VICTORIA
With the support of Racing Victoria (RV), jumps racing remains strong and an integral economic contribution to the Victorian thoroughbred racing industry.
Jumps racing, with its new safety initiatives and increased prizemoney is predicted to grow year-on-year among participants throughout the next decade.
It continues to be a popular and enjoyable code of racing which is economically strong and most importantly advocates for a place of purpose for Australian and international staying horses.
Each season in Victoria is an integral contribution to the racing calendar - training equine athletes for fitness and stamina securing longevity for race meetings such as Australia’s longest flat race - The Jericho Cup.
Jumps racing enjoyed strong participation in Victoria throughout 2021 (the last completed season) with the highest number of horses, starters and races conducted since the first round of major safety reforms in 2009-10.
The recently published RV infrastructure green paper outlines the strength of the jumps industry and its important contribution to racing within the state of Victoria.
Following a major reset after the 2009 season, jumps racing has been regenerated in Victoria with an unwavering focus from the Victorian Thoroughbred Racing Industry stakeholders on the safety of all participants.
The 2021 season saw 186 horses compete – the highest number in a season since the reset in 2009 and up from 125 in 2010.
The introduction of new One-Fit Hurdles, designed to further improve safety for horse and rider, saw 2021 achieve the lowest fall rate in history – down 66% on the 10-year average.
There are 19 jumps racing meetings – six exclusively for jumps riders – programmed in 2022 across eight racetracks.
RV is proposing to retain jumps racing throughout the next decade and program races at those tracks currently conducting meetings subject to appropriate safety standards being maintained, Club support, and the availability of venues and horses.
RV is open to increasing the number of races conducted within the existing season window of March to August, subject to the support of owners and trainers in growing the jumping population. A trend towards race meetings conducted exclusively with jumps and highweight races will continue should participation numbers warrant it.
The decision to ban jumps racing in South Australia has left a significant gap in the Australian jumps racing calendar, particularly for horses aimed for the Warrnambool May Carnival which includes the time honoured Grand Annual Steeplechase.
In contrast to the South Australian position, RV reaffirmed its commitment to jumps racing by increasing prizemoney over the season by $850,000 and then by readjusting the six month schedule to fill the breach left without jumps races such as the Great Eastern Steeplechase at Oakbank which has sadly come to an end after 150 years.
The significant increase, which takes the total available prizemoney over the 2022 jumps racing season to more than $4.66 million, reflects the current strength of jumps racing in Victoria and is predicted to enhance year-on-year growth for turnover.
The AJRA continues to assist RV in equine and participant initiatives. Continuing to communicate these key drivers of jumps racing and striving to reaffirm the improvements to safety for horses and riders with the following;
IMPROVING FITNESS & SAFETY FOR HORSES Implementing schooling lanes for jumps racing across the state. Racing clubs include Wangaratta, Seymour Mornington, Ballarat, Pakenham, Lang Lang, (private property) Seymour, Geelong, Stawell and Horsham (private property) have all recently received jumping lanes to improve fitness of staying horses.
This along with the OneFit Hurdles, new steeples at Warrnambool, softer race tracks, expanded veterinary checks and an order for jockeys to retire their horse from a race if it is fatigued, not jumping satisfactorily or out of contention.
LIFE AFTER JUMPS RACING Supports Racing Victoria’s Equine Welfare Off The Track program - promoting jumps horses as a desirable candidate for equestrian sports. Retiring jumps horses, with their education and experience, are particularly adaptable to show jumping and eventing but like all retiring racehorses, they also easily transition to other equestrian pursuits including equine therapy’.
JOCKEY SKILLSET Work with RV to continuously upskill and support jump jockeys to perform at their optimum on the racetrack and as a result improve safety of both horse and rider.
RACEDAY EXPERIENCE Continuing to work with club stakeholders and partners such as Country Racing Victoria and Racing.com to create fun and interactive race days for participants and spectators to attend and watch on television.
The AJRA would like to acknowledge and thank RV and the clubs for their continued support in Jumps Racing.
Editors note: At the end of June 2022, 46 jumps races had been conducted in Victoria. There were 11 falls, 3% falls-to-starters ratio, 0 fatalities from falls.
