RACING Minister Denis Napthine has been looking for a platform from which to exhibit the success of the reinvigorated jumps racing industry and he found it yesterday in the form of resurrected gelding Black And Bent, reports The Age. It says: The hottest of favourites for Sunday's Grand National Hurdle at Betfair Park, Black And Bent is the pin-up boy of the once-ailing sport that the state government has given new life. Napthine reported yesterday that in April, just 73 horses were accredited t
RACING Minister Denis Napthine has been looking for a platform from which to exhibit the success of the reinvigorated jumps racing industry and he found it yesterday in the form of resurrected gelding Black And Bent, reports The Age.
It says: The hottest of favourites for Sunday's Grand National Hurdle at Betfair Park, Black And Bent is the pin-up boy of the once-ailing sport that the state government has given new life. Napthine reported yesterday that in April, just 73 horses were accredited to compete in jumps races in Victoria, but four months later that number is now 222. ''That is a massive increase and augurs well for a great future for the industry,'' Napthine said.
Part of the reason for jumps racing's resurgence can be put down to a level of certainty that the industry does have a future, as well as a sizeable boost to prizemoney. Stakes for jumps racing across the board have increased 30 per cent since the new government won power. There is now a minimum $20,000 stake for each jumps race in the state and, as a further carrot for the horse and his owner, a $10,000 bonus will be paid to each maiden jumps winner.
In a push to attract better horses from New Zealand for the feature steeplechase races, a $10,000 travelling allowance will be paid to New Zealand's two feature steeplechase winners to compete in next May's Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool.