Night racing nod

By Bridget Cook
THE Cranbourne Racing Centre is on track to become only the second venue in the state to host night racing meets.
Last Wednesday, Racing Victoria (RV) approved the race dates for the 2011/12 racing season, which included Cranbourne, along with Mooney Valley, as the state’s gallops night racing venues.
Cranbourne Racing Centre will host 16 Friday night racing meets between October and April, with the first scheduled for 14 October.
Cranbourne Turf Club chief executive Neil Bainbridge said night racing approval was an outstanding outcome for the club.
“It has been a long-term vision of the committee, and its becoming a reality provides great satisfaction to us all,” he said.
“It really is a great result for the club, it adds a whole new dimension to racing at Cranbourne.
“It will also be a great form of entertainment for people in the City if Casey and a great tourist attraction to bring people to the area.
“With weekend night meets, and hopefully a band playing at them, we consider ourselves to become a destination of choice.”
Cranbourne Racing Centre will still host the same number of race meetings.
To allow the expansion in night racing, Sunday meetings previously held at Cranbourne will be transferred to other country venues, many in rural Victoria.
Last week’s confirmation will mean the club can now start work on its $6 million light project.
RV chief executive Rob Hines said while night racing is programmed at Cranbourne from 14 October, delays in the planning and approval process meant the lights could not be switched on until early 2012.
“To minimise disruption to the program and set the footprint for the future, these Cranbourne meetings will be predominantly run as Friday twilights until the lights are completed,” he said.