The Gold Coast Turf Club’s A$38 million transformation into an international night racing attraction is under way.
Racingqueensland.com.au reports that at the last election, the Premier announced a re-elected Palaszczuk Government would deliver a multi-million-dollar transformation of Aquis Park and, on Monday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the approval of A$31.5 million to redevelop the 75-year-old racecourse into Australia’s most impressive night racing venue.
“This multi-million-dollar redevelopment will transform the Gold Coast Turf Club into one of the best racing venues in the country,” the Premier said.
“At the election, we made a promise to invest in new infrastructure to create jobs and rebuild the economy on the Gold Coast. We’re delivering on that commitment. This project will create jobs for local construction workers and will deliver great benefits for the local racing industry on the Gold Coast for years to come.”
The A$31.5 million comes on top of A$1.5 million the Government has already provided for feasibility and planning.
The GCTC is also contributing A$5 million towards the project.
The project – part of the Palaszczuk Government’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan – will go to tender later this year.
Racing Minister Grace Grace said the redevelopment would see the racing surfaces completely modernised with an all-weather synthetic track, the latest technology in lights for night racing, and an in-field tunnel to provide increased equine welfare and health and safety benefits, along with increased commercial opportunity.
Racing on the Gold Coast dates back to the 1890’s when an occasional public meeting was run in the old cane paddocks of Bundall, not far from the present Gold Coast Turf Club.
Regular racing at its present headquarters began on 15 May 1946 when the club was known as the Southport and District Amateur Race Club (formed on 17 March 1946). Racing in those days was on a sand track.
In January 1971, the club began conducting races every Saturday. In August of that year, the Club launched the Newmarket-Gold Coast Cup three-day carnival on a quality grass track. Back then the race was sponsored by Carlton and United Breweries and carried prizemoney of just A$2,000.
In 1974, the Prime Minister’s Cup was launched, carrying Australia’s richest purse for a provincial race of A$30,000 and in 2002, the Prime Minister’s Cup, then sponsored by Conrad Jupiters, became a stand-alone Saturday race meeting.
In 2016 a record crowd of 24,000 people witnessed the running of Australia’s richest raceday, the 2016 Magic Millions which included a record prize pool of over A$10 million.
Hosting approximately 60 race meetings each season, the Gold Coast Turf Club is also home to several highly anticipated major events. The largest event is the Magic Millions Raceday held in January each year as part of the Magic Millions Carnival & Yearling Sale held over 10 days on the Gold Coast.
