Turf club plans $1m stall upgrade

The Bunbury Turf Club is applying for a Racing and Wagering WA grant to upgrade its horse stalls ahead of a bumper season.

RWWA has announced all race clubs will benefit from $4 million in grant funding from October to undertake essential infrastructure projects.

Each club will get a minimum of $10,000 – with $2.5 million of this grant funding to be allocated based on the clubs’ wagering performance in previous years.

This is in addition to the $152.2 million announced from the RWWA to support the delivery of strategic plans for thoroughbred, harness and greyhound racing in the State.

Bunbury Turf Club chief executive officer Alex Doble said the horse stalls needed to be torn down and new ones put in their place.

“They have served the club well and are still functional, but they are in need of replacement,” he said.

“In regards to this grant, we see this as a key project.”

Mr Doble said upgrading the stalls was expected to cost about $1 million.

Three years ago 30 stalls were updated with money from Royalties for Regions.

Bunbury Trotting Club general manager Julie Caldwell said the club was unlikely to receive any funding this year.

“We have had a fair amount of funding lately so I would say we would be down the list a bit,” she said.

Ms Caldwell said LED track lights and solar panels on the stalls would be the next projects for the club’s committee.

“We would also like to upgrade the entrance of the track and put up some more signage,” she said.

The BTC season is set to begin on Saturday, October 14 and for the second-straight year the club has been allocated a stand-alone race meet to begin the season, with the $100,000 TABTouch Classic (1200m) to headline the day.

It is the same day as the Caulfield Guineas and the $10 million Everest at Randwick.

Mr Doble said Bunbury would hold the only WA meet on the day.

“There will be metropolitan prize money across the day with just shy of half a million dollars on offer,” he said.