Southside Racing has been named as Australia’s newest race club, following the merger between Cranbourne Turf Club and Pakenham Racing Club.
According to Racing Victoria, Southside Racing now stands as Victoria’s second largest racing club, that will host over 60 race meetings annually.
With more than 500 employees, it will operate four community clubs, offering daily entertainment and hospitality.
“The main goal is to make racing better for everybody. Better for members, better for fans, better for trainers, better for jockeys, better for the city of Casey and the shire of Cardinia, better for the south side of Melbourne,” Racing Victoria CEO Andrew Jones said.
“More scale means more efficiency and more money to invest in all of the things that we want to invest in, and it’s more choice for members and fans.”
The club is expected to have an annual economic impact exceeding $300 million and serve as an economic hub for the region, both on and off the racetrack.
“This is an exciting opportunity for racing in the south-east,” Southside Racing CEO Neil Bainbridge said.
“This is a club that will conduct more than 60 race meetings annually, train 1,500 horses daily, run four gaming venues and offer significant opportunities for our community, and for our members to enjoy racing at two fantastic facilities.
“We look forward to being a significant contributor to the Victorian racing industry not only now, but well into the future.”
The brand rollout for Southside Racing is scheduled over the coming months.