Racing shock as SAJC votes to quit Victoria Park
Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:18 pmNEARLY 160 years of inner-city racing has ended after the SA Jockey Club announced tonight it would vacate Victoria Park.
At Morphettville tonight SAJC members were told of the board's recommendations and had the opportunity to comment.
The board then adjourned to a specially convened meeting where it resolved to give the Adelaide City Council, in accordance with it lease conditions, one month's notice of its intention to leave Victoria Park.
SAJC chairman Mr John Naffine said it had invested a lot of time, effort and money pursuing a multi-purpose project in conjunction with the State Government and Motor Sport Board of SA only to have those plans rejected by the Adelaide City Council.
"Regrettably the stance taken by the Adelaide City Council has forced the SAJC to reconsider its options," he said.
"And after a thorough review of the financial implications associated with redeveloping Victoria Park it was decided by the Board that it would not be in the interests of racing or the SAJC to invest $20million at Victoria Park for what would now be an inferior building footprint in conjuction with the interruptions associated with motor sport infrastructure."
That $20million would have been for the refurbishment of city course which included a new grandstand and racetrack, giving the SAJC two tracks following the sale of Cheltenham Racecourse.
"The SAJC has considered all scenarios and has no doubt that it has made the right decision ... in the long term the SAJC benefit but more importantly racing as a whole," Mr Naffine added.
Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said the SAJC's decision to walk away from Victoria Park was predictable.
"I think it's a sad day for racing, horse racing had a great history in Victoria Park and the parklands generally," Mr Harbison said.
"The decision is not really a surprise. The dye was cast when the multi-use facility for horse racing and motor racing was rejected.
"I can understand that it's not sustainable for the jockey club to invest $20 million into Victoria Park.
He said the council planned to preserve the heritage grandstand and develop the site as an open space recreational area.
"It does offer an opportunity for an open space parklands recreation facility for the public and unlike Cheltenham the site will not be sold and housing will not be built there."
Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association president Jim Daly called on the council to move quickly to develop the site.
"It's up the council now to make the area at Victoria Park into a beautiful public park with a whole range of community activities for a huge range of people," Mr Daly said.
Monies that would otherwise have been invested in Victoria Park will now be spent on installing a second grass racing track at Allan Scott Park Morphettville and increasing prizemoney.
The SAJC has already ordered the grass for a new inner track, estimated to cost $4.5million, and would be in commission by the time Cheltenham closes in March next year.
And it is the club's intention to maximise the use of Allan Scott Park and race there every week of the year, or as programmed by Thoroughbred Racing SA.
"The installation of a second grass track is considered to be a `green' project with particular reference to water requirements," Mr Naffine added. "The SAJC recharges the Aquifer form its wetlands at a greater rate than what it would use for watering two grass tracks."
In addition to another racing surface the SAJC would now also make infrastructure improvements, up-grade training facilities and technoligical improvements to audio visual and real time sectional timing.
TRSA, SA's governing thoroughbred body, has endorsed the SAJC's decision to leave Victoria Park.
The Board's chairman, Mr Philip Bentley said that a total refurbishment and redesign of the existing facilities at Victoria Park was unlikely to yield a break even net return.
"If the SAJC installed a second track at Morphettivlle inside the main track it would save between $250,000 and $500,00 on operating expenses," he said.
Adding that the the $20million needed at Victoria Park could be invested to yield an extra $2million per annum that could be added to stakesmoney, an increase to Saturday metropolitan prizemoney of over $4000 per race, per annum.
"It must be emphasises that the bigges threat to the future of SA racing is its low level of prizemoney compared to other states," he added.
"SA does not have a shortage of venues, it has a shortage of prizemoney and the SAJC's decision to vacate Victoria Park is consistent with the long term interest of the industry."
At Morphettville tonight SAJC members were told of the board's recommendations and had the opportunity to comment.
The board then adjourned to a specially convened meeting where it resolved to give the Adelaide City Council, in accordance with it lease conditions, one month's notice of its intention to leave Victoria Park.
SAJC chairman Mr John Naffine said it had invested a lot of time, effort and money pursuing a multi-purpose project in conjunction with the State Government and Motor Sport Board of SA only to have those plans rejected by the Adelaide City Council.
"Regrettably the stance taken by the Adelaide City Council has forced the SAJC to reconsider its options," he said.
"And after a thorough review of the financial implications associated with redeveloping Victoria Park it was decided by the Board that it would not be in the interests of racing or the SAJC to invest $20million at Victoria Park for what would now be an inferior building footprint in conjuction with the interruptions associated with motor sport infrastructure."
That $20million would have been for the refurbishment of city course which included a new grandstand and racetrack, giving the SAJC two tracks following the sale of Cheltenham Racecourse.
"The SAJC has considered all scenarios and has no doubt that it has made the right decision ... in the long term the SAJC benefit but more importantly racing as a whole," Mr Naffine added.
Adelaide City Council Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said the SAJC's decision to walk away from Victoria Park was predictable.
"I think it's a sad day for racing, horse racing had a great history in Victoria Park and the parklands generally," Mr Harbison said.
"The decision is not really a surprise. The dye was cast when the multi-use facility for horse racing and motor racing was rejected.
"I can understand that it's not sustainable for the jockey club to invest $20 million into Victoria Park.
He said the council planned to preserve the heritage grandstand and develop the site as an open space recreational area.
"It does offer an opportunity for an open space parklands recreation facility for the public and unlike Cheltenham the site will not be sold and housing will not be built there."
Adelaide Parklands Preservation Association president Jim Daly called on the council to move quickly to develop the site.
"It's up the council now to make the area at Victoria Park into a beautiful public park with a whole range of community activities for a huge range of people," Mr Daly said.
Monies that would otherwise have been invested in Victoria Park will now be spent on installing a second grass racing track at Allan Scott Park Morphettville and increasing prizemoney.
The SAJC has already ordered the grass for a new inner track, estimated to cost $4.5million, and would be in commission by the time Cheltenham closes in March next year.
And it is the club's intention to maximise the use of Allan Scott Park and race there every week of the year, or as programmed by Thoroughbred Racing SA.
"The installation of a second grass track is considered to be a `green' project with particular reference to water requirements," Mr Naffine added. "The SAJC recharges the Aquifer form its wetlands at a greater rate than what it would use for watering two grass tracks."
In addition to another racing surface the SAJC would now also make infrastructure improvements, up-grade training facilities and technoligical improvements to audio visual and real time sectional timing.
TRSA, SA's governing thoroughbred body, has endorsed the SAJC's decision to leave Victoria Park.
The Board's chairman, Mr Philip Bentley said that a total refurbishment and redesign of the existing facilities at Victoria Park was unlikely to yield a break even net return.
"If the SAJC installed a second track at Morphettivlle inside the main track it would save between $250,000 and $500,00 on operating expenses," he said.
Adding that the the $20million needed at Victoria Park could be invested to yield an extra $2million per annum that could be added to stakesmoney, an increase to Saturday metropolitan prizemoney of over $4000 per race, per annum.
"It must be emphasises that the bigges threat to the future of SA racing is its low level of prizemoney compared to other states," he added.
"SA does not have a shortage of venues, it has a shortage of prizemoney and the SAJC's decision to vacate Victoria Park is consistent with the long term interest of the industry."
