News

Record $19.4 million VOBIS program

25th Jun 2014

Racing Victoria - Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Racing Victoria (RV) today announced that a record $19.4 million in prizemoney and bonuses will be on offer across Victoria’s two lucrative owners’ and breeders’ incentive schemes, Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold, for the 2014-15 racing season commencing 1 August.

The record figure has been driven by the continued expansion of VOBIS Gold, which will include four-year-old horses for the first time next season, and a subsequent 13-year high subscription to its mother scheme, Super VOBIS.

Click here to watch the highlights from today's announcement

The announcement, which comes in the lead-up to Monday’s 30 June deadline to nominate current yearlings (2012-born) to VOBIS Gold, includes the following:

Expansion of the exclusive VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series from 10 to 13 races with the inclusion of four-year-old only and combined three and four-year-old feature races;
*The 2014-15 VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series to offer $1.9 million in prize money and bonuses – up from $1.5 million this season;
*The addition of Pakenham as a regional host of a VOBIS Gold Premier Race, alongside Ballarat, Bendigo, Swan Hill, Wangaratta and Warrnambool, with a feature race for four-year-olds programmed at south eastern Victoria’s newest track on 26 April, 2015;
*Creation of a lucrative VOBIS Gold Breeders Raceday at Caulfield on 18 April, 2015, highlighted by the running of four races in the VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series;
*A total of $5 million in VOBIS Gold bonuses on offer next season – up from $3 million this season – with $20,000 bonuses available on 100 four-year-old races;
*An enticing $12.5 million in Super VOBIS bonuses will be programmed in 2014-15 which brings the total rewards on offer across the VOBIS schemes to a record $19.4 million.

Horses must be first nominated for Super VOBIS, which carries bonuses from $9000 to $30,000 on two and three-year-old races, to be eligible for entry into the VOBIS Gold scheme.

RV Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said the enhancements to Victoria’s VOBIS programs continue RV’s development of the racing program in line with its strategic plan, Racing For The Future, released last November.

“The Strategic Plan identified the enhancement of VOBIS as a priority activity to promote ownership and breeding growth in Victorian racing as part of a wider strategic objective to strengthen the quality of our racing program,” Carpenter explained.

“Thus we’re delighted to offer Victorian owners and breeders a record $19.4 million in prizemoney and bonuses across Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold next season.

“The VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series has produced some wonderful stories in its initial two years through the deeds of horses like Trust In A Gust, Eloping and Worth A Ransom, and that will continue with its expansion next season to include four-year-olds.

“We are equally pleased to extend the footprint of VOBIS Gold further into regional Victoria next season, as we are to provide a focal point for the industry with a feature VOBIS Gold Breeders Day in April 2015 in the week prior to the annual VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale.”

Carpenter said that the 2012 introduction of VOBIS Gold had stimulated renewed interest in its mother scheme Super VOBIS and that owners and breeders are now set to reap the rewards.

“Super VOBIS nominations this year exceeded 2500 yearlings for the first since 2001. Now is the time for those owners and breeders to make their horses eligible for VOBIS Gold and to maximise their career earning potential,” Carpenter said.

“Nominations close for VOBIS Gold next Monday and thanks to the support of the Coalition Government, owners need only pay $1100 to make their horse eligible not only for the Premier Race Series, but for lucrative VOBIS Gold bonuses each and every year throughout its racing career.”

Victorian Premier, Dr Denis Napthine, said the Coalition Government’s four-year $6.8 million commitment to VOBIS Gold was delivering clear benefits for thoroughbred racing and breeding.

“Victorian-bred horses eligible for VOBIS Gold are attracting increased prices at yearling sales while many owners are seeing VOBIS Gold bonuses come their way,” Dr Napthine said.

“This is leading to significant investment in the local breeding industry delivering increased economic benefits and jobs to Victoria.

“With even more bonuses on offer next racing season, there is no doubt there has never been a better time to breed, buy, own and race a Victorian-bred horse.”

Anthony Mithen, Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria (TBV) board member and proprietor of Gnarwarre-based Rosemont Stud, said the VOBIS schemes were vitally important for Victorian breeders.

“Both Super VOBIS and the VOBIS Gold are world leading incentive schemes and have been enormously important and valuable for Victorian breeders,” Mithen, who stands Group 1-winning stallions Starspangledbanner and Toorak Toff at his property near Geelong, said.

“Having horses nominated for Super VOBIS and eligible for VOBIS Gold makes them extremely attractive to buyers, not only in Victoria, but at Australia’s biggest yearling sales each year, even more so with the increase in prizemoney and bonuses announced today.

“I can’t wait to cheer home the progeny of Rosemont stallions Starspangledbanner and Toorak Toff in the coming seasons and I’m sure the lucrative VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series will prove a popular target for their connections.”

VOBIS Gold yearling nominations close on 30 June 2014, as do Super VOBIS late entries for the same foal crop.

To view the VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series schedule for 2014/15 click here