BROAD REVIEW OF PROVINCIAL RACE CLUBS UNDERWAY

RACINGNSW has undertaken a broad review of the structure and organisation of NSW provincial clubs.

It is understood the review was launched after some clubs had been querying the Scheme of Distribution, which has been in place for a lengthy period and in its current form is seen as no longer fitting the purpose.

The five provincial clubs are Newcastle Jockey Club, Wyong Race Club, Gosford Race Club, Hawkesbury Race Club and Illawarra Turf Club (Kembla Grange).

The review is totally separate to an independent inquiry into the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Act 1996, ordered by the Minister for Racing, the Hon David Harris.

That review has been led by former NSW Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard.

Provincial Racing Association of NSW chairman Greg Purcell (pictured above with Wyong chairman John Waghorn), who is also chief executive of Wyong Race Club, has confirmed the provincial review.

“We have a Provincial Association meeting next Wednesday, and hope to receive an update on the progress of the review,” Purcell said today.

“RacingNSW spoke with all five clubs, and we were all invited to make a submission.

“Wyong has done that, and I expect that would be the case with the other clubs as well.”

Funding will be a keynote of the review, with the provincial clubs saying distribution from the scheme has not kept pace with inflation.

The amount of funds to each club from TAB distribution can vary from year to year, but generally is around the following percentages:

Newcastle 25 pc;

Kembla Grange 21.5pc;

Hawkesbury 19.1pc;

Wyong 17.6pc;

Gosford 16.8pc.

Those percentages include factors such as TAB turnover on race meetings, capital funding and starters at TAB meetings trained at each of the clubs.

Provincial Saturday meetings are acknowledged as clearly the most financial day, followed by Sundays, Thursdays and Tuesdays.

Newcastle Jockey Club and Illawarra Turf Club, as a result of the size of their respective cities (Newcastle and Wollongong) have commanded the majority of Saturday dates, though the percentage nowadays is not as dominant as it was for many years.

Each provincial club now has a Saturday metropolitan stand-alone feature date; Newcastle (The Hunter), Wyong (The Lakes), Gosford (The Coast), Hawkesbury (Gold Cup) and Kembla Grange (The Gong).

As well, the clubs also have a Saturday date each to conduct $150,000 Qualifiers for the $1m Provincial-Midway Championships Final, held at Royal Randwick on Day 2 of The Championships in autumn.

There is also a strong push from all five clubs to contribute the same level of prizemoney for standard $42,000 provincial races.

Currently, $10,000 per race is paid (RacingNSW covers the remainder) by clubs racing on Saturdays, and the amount for other days is $12,000.

Provincial clubs are seeking for a standard $10,000 to be paid per race irrespective of the day of the meeting.

STORY JOHN CURTIS, JUNE 10, 2026