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Benson eyes big finish on NJC racing calendar

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The Newcastle Jockey Club (NJC) is well-placed to stage its biggest events on the local racing calendar.

Bouyed by a recent sponsorship extension with Sharp Office, which spans almost a decade, the organisation will now focus its attention on the upcoming Spring Carnival, including the Newcastle Gold Cup (17 September), and prestigious The Hunter (13 November).

The $1 million feature race, entering its third year in 2021, is positioned to attract the best horses coming out of The Everest.

“I think The Hunter’s been a fantastic shot in the arm for Newcastle racing,” chief executive Matt Benson said.

“I can’t speak for Kembla [Grange], who also hosts The Gong, but I would imagine that it’s the same for them in the Illawarra region.

“Having a $1 million race put on a plumb time of the year – just before Christmas – when everyone’s in a racing state of mind.

“We couldn’t be happier.

“Hopefully, we’ll make some exciting announcements in that regard over the course of the next week or two as well.”

While COVID-19 has played havoc with numerous sports nationally, and internationally, thoroughbred racing’s flourished, according to Benson.

“It’s been a very interesting time,” he admitted.

“Racing’s one of the industries that, oddly, has benefitted in some ways from the pandemic.

“Not only because wagering has gone up significantly – that’s a good thing for the coffers.

“But, we’ve also seen interest from people increasing as far as wanting to pre-book and come along to the races.

“That’s due to the fact they’re not doing other activities; or they’ve got a bit more money to spend because there’s no overseas travel and that sort of thing.

“Until last Saturday, which was quiet, due to the lockdown in Sydney and the ripple effect from that scenario, we’ve found in the past six or so months the crowds are up by 25%, spend per head’s risen significantly on where we were pre-COVID.

“So, the club is travelling pretty well all things considered.”

Benson said Sharp Office’s commitment was another positive for the Newcastle Jockey Club.

The partnership will take both parties through to 2026.

“We’re delighted they’ve stayed on board – they’ll now have a nine-year sponsorship with the club leading up to the Sharp Spring Carnival, which is mid-September,” he told the Newcastle Weekly.

“Obviously, that includes the Newcastle Gold Cup and a couple of other Group races.

“Traditionally, it was the highlight on the NJC program.

“However, that’s changed somewhat with arrival of The Hunter – a million-dollar stand-alone race in November.

“It now takes the mantle as our most important race day.

“But, the Spring Carnival and Newcastle Gold Cup are still significant for the club.”

Those events don’t allow much time for relaxation either, however Benson has plenty to do.

“We’ve just launched the new day stalls – and they’re in use,” he said.

“That’s the first domino to fall for us to keep moving on what we want to achieve, which is a state-of-the-art stable complex.

“But, that’s up to the NSW Government and funding bodies.

“None of these things happen in a flash and we’ve been working on this for as long as I’ve been here (more than five years).

“Hopefully, that’s the end game.

“It would be a massive game-changer for racing and training in Newcastle.”

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