02 June 2011
Mr MORRIS (Mornington) — I raise a matter this afternoon for the Minister for Racing, and it relates to the impact that recent heavy rains and flooding have had on Victorian horse racing tracks. The action I am seeking from the minister is that he provide some assistance to Mornington Racing Club to make sure the track is protected from these extreme events.
Mornington Racing Club and its predecessor Baxter’s Flat Racing Club go back some 165 years. The first meeting was held at the current site of the racing club in 1911. The first Mornington Cup meeting was held in 1921. The prize money for that event was £80, and there was a trophy valued at £75.
Of course much of the recent history — certainly the post‑war history — of the club is driven by its association with the late Sir Reginald Ansett, who re‑established racing following the Second World War. The Mornington racecourse was used as an army base, as were many other large lumps of land around the Mornington district during the war.
Following the war Sir Reginald chaired a limited company which purchased a course and buildings for some £14 000 and then leased it back to Mornington Racing Club. He said at the time, and I quote from the history of the club
:
I want the public of the MorningtonPeninsula to consider the racecourse as their own. It will prove a great asset to the peninsula as we intend to make it the finest racecourse in Australia with the best facilities. The public will find that nothing will be left undone for their comfort and consideration.
Over the years that promise was pretty much carried through. It became very much the pre‑eminent country racing track in the state, and it is a great asset to have in the local community.
In August last year the club merged with Melbourne Racing Club. There were some 22 race meetings in the next 12 months, including 3 that are classified as metropolitan meetings. The big event, the Mornington Cup, now has a top prize of $300 000, making it the richest race in country Victoria and providing automatic qualification for the Caulfield Cup. Almost $1 million in prize money is distributed on Mornington Cup Day.
I urge the minister to assist with the current difficulty.
Legislative Assembly 2 June 2011
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