WARRNAMBOOL Racing Club chief executive officer Tom O'Connor has welcomed news prizemoney for Victorian racing will have a hefty increase in the 2022-23 season.
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Racing Victoria announced on Tuesday more than $314 million will be up for grabs in prizemoney and bonuses in the new season which starts on August 1, compared to $300 million in 2021-22.
"It's always great to see prize-money increases," O'Connor told The Standard.
"It's wonderful news not only for owners but for trainers. Warrnambool is one of the leading training facilities in the state and I'm sure all the local trainers were delighted to hear of the increases.
"We've got our fingers crossed that local trainers and owners may get a share of the hefty lifts in stakemoney, not only in Melbourne but also in the country."
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The increase includes more than $11 million in additional funding for minimum prizemoney, with more $7 million allocated to country races.
O'Connor said it was pleasing to see standard races in the country getting a bite of the prizemoney pie.
"Standard races in the country will increase to $27,000," he said.
"Premium country races will be $37,500 races plus premium benchmark 70 races in the country are to be worth $40,000 up from $35,000. Minimum stakes in town also increase to $55,000 which gives country trainers a chance to pick up extra money.
"I think Racing Victoria have the formula pretty right about what they have done with the stakes regarding the city and country."
Racing Victoria also indicated its intention to review industry performance throughout the second half of 2022 before making a final determination on prizemoney for the 2023 Festival of Racing in February and March.
Victoria will host 554 race meetings in 2022-23, across 354 days with 108 metropolitan, 395 country TAB, 18 country non-TAB and 33 picnic meetings programmed. Warrnambool will host an all-jumps meeting on July 2 in 2023, which will see the running of the Lafferty Hurdle and Thackeray Steeplechase.
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