News

Super VOBIS nominations soar

12th Feb 2013

Racing Victoria - Media Release - Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Exceptional response to Super VOBIS with 2406 yearlings nominated for lucrative scheme

The benefits of Victoria’s lucrative new breeding and racing incentive scheme, VOBIS Gold, are already being shown with a significant spike in nominations for its mother scheme, Super VOBIS.

Racing Victoria (RV) has today announced that yearling nominations for Super VOBIS, which closed on 1 February 2013, are the highest taken since 2006.

A total of 2406 yearlings have been made eligible for Super VOBIS, up 14 percent on the 2110 yearlings that were a part of last year’s intake.

Of the 3641 foals born in Victoria in 2011, some 66.08% were nominated for Super VOBIS – the highest percentage since 2000 and up from 56.30% of the foal crop 12 months ago.

To be eligible for VOBIS Gold, which was introduced in 2012 to further reward those that breed and race in Victoria, horses must first be nominated for Super VOBIS.

Super VOBIS offers bonuses ranging from $9000 to $30,000 on a raft of two and three-year-old races, whilst VOBIS Gold nominated horses will race for $20,000 bonuses throughout their entire career.

In addition, five races for VOBIS Gold-only juveniles feature on the calendar with the next event – the $280,000 VOBIS Gold Rush – to be run at Bendigo on Saturday, 16 March.

When fully operational, VOBIS Gold and Super VOBIS will collectively offer $18 million in bonuses for nominated horses.

RV Chief Executive, Bernard Saundry, said it was pleasing to see that the introduction of VOBIS Gold had stimulated renewed interest in the Super VOBIS program.

“The Super VOBIS nomination figures are an outstanding result for the Victorian breeding industry and provide clear proof that the VOBIS Gold scheme is a winner with both breeders and owners,” Saundry said.

“Racing Victoria, with the support of the Coalition Government, has made a concerted effort to make Victoria the most attractive place to breed and race horses and these figures demonstrate that we are on the right track.

“This is particularly pleasing ahead of the upcoming Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sales where over 50 percent of the catalogue is nominated for Super VOBIS and thus eligible to entered for VOBIS Gold for which entries close on 30 June.”

A total of 438 Super VOBIS nominated yearlings will be on offer at the Inglis Premier Sale, to be held at Oaklands Junction from 3-6 March, while a further 283 will be on sale at Inglis’ newly branded VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale in Melbourne in April.

Minister for Racing, Denis Napthine, is thrilled to see that the VOBIS Gold scheme, for which the Coalition Government has provided $6.8 million in funding over four years, is stimulating investment in Victoria’s breeding and racing industries.

“It is fantastic to see an increased interest in Victorian bred racehorses following the introduction of our VOBIS Gold Scheme,” Dr Napthine said.

“In addition to producing some absolute champion racehorses, the breeding industry in Victoria is also responsible for employing thousands of people and generating millions of dollars for the state economy.

“The Coalition Government is proud to partner with Racing Victoria to support this industry and help it grow and develop into the future,” Dr Napthine said.

Whilst the Super VOBIS entry deadline has passed, late entries may be lodged up until 30 June 2013 with the original fee doubled for the appropriate category of horse.

Nominations for VOBIS Gold are due on 30 June 2013 with the one-off payment of $1100 making each horse eligible for both the lucrative bonuses and premier race series.