News

Record VOBIS Prizemoney in 2015-16

13th Jul 2015

Racing Victoria (RV) announced the expansion of the lucrative VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series with an additional two feature races lifting prizemoney and bonuses to a record $2.36 million for the 2015-16 racing season.

The expansion of the Premier Race Series means that, for the first time, more than $20 million in prizemoney and bonuses will be on offer across Victoria’s two lucrative owners’ and breeders’ incentive schemes, Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold, in a season.

Owners and breeders must first nominate their foals to Super VOBIS to be eligible for the riches of the VOBIS Gold scheme which was introduced in 2012-13.

The VOBIS Gold scheme, which will include five-year-old horses for the first time in the 2015-16 racing season, continues to grow in interest each year with strong support from owners, breeders and trainers.

Nominations to its parent scheme, Super VOBIS, are also at an all-time high with 2,666 rising two-year-olds currently boasting a nomination to the popular and long-standing incentive program.

VOBIS Gold nominations for rising two-year-olds – those foals born in 2013 – are open until Monday, 31 August 2015. Late nominations for Super VOBIS will close on the same day.

The highlights of the 2015-16 VOBIS Gold program, including enhancements to the VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series, are as follows:

• A total of $5 million in VOBIS Gold bonuses are on offer with 250 bonus races programmed across a variety of tracks and classes with the inclusion of five-year-olds for the first time;

• A record $2.36 million in prizemoney and bonuses will be on offer across the VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series – up from $1.9 million in the current season;

• Expansion of the Premier Race Series from 13 to 15 races for two, three, four and five-year-old horses at both metropolitan and regional Victorian racecourses;

• Expansion of the Victorian Owners and Breeders Raceday at Caulfield on Saturday, 16 April 2016, with the addition of the VOBIS Gold Heath (2000m) and VOBIS Gold Distaff (1400m, fillies and mares), bringing to six the number of VOBIS Gold-only feature races on the day;

• The identification of the VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m) as a headline race for the Victorian Owners and Breeders Raceday with prizemoney and bonuses increased from $180,000 to $280,000; and

• The introduction of the first 2400-metre premier race for VOBIS Gold nominees with the season-ending $180,000 VOBIS Gold Stayers programmed at Caulfield on Saturday, 30 July 2016.

RV Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said the enhancements to the Premier Race Series reflected the wider industry’s continued support of the VOBIS Gold scheme.

“The industry’s Strategic Plan outlines the extension of the VOBIS schemes, including the VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series, as a key objective to promote ownership and breeding growth in this state as well as maximising returns to owners,” Mr Carpenter said.

“The plethora of VOBIS Gold riches on offer state-wide has seen a tremendous boost to Super VOBIS nominations, affirming the status of both Super VOBIS and VOBIS Gold as Australia’s premier breeding and racing schemes.

“The VOBIS Gold Premier Race Series has produced some wonderful stories in its initial three years including subsequent dual Group 1-winner Trust In A Gust, Fontein Ruby, Prince of Brooklyn and The Big Dance, and I am confident that will continue with its expansion to include five-year-olds next season.

“We thank the Victorian State Government for its continued support of VOBIS which is delivering clear benefits for thoroughbred racing and breeding in this state.”