Newcastle Jockey Club hope a change to create another grassed precinct close to the main facilities will help grow The Hunter race day after a pleasing post-COVID return on Saturday.
The club held the fourth edition of the standalone city program, headlined by the $1 million The Hunter, and it was the first since the inaugural running in 2019 that had been held with COVID restrictions.
Before the meeting, NJC chief Duane Dowell hoped to attract a crowd in excess of 5000 and he said on Monday the attendance was about 4800. Dowell hoped to build on that figure next year.
"That's a great result and our hospitality figures exceeded the first year," Dowell said. "They were always going to exceed years two and three, but to exceed the first year shows we've come out of COVID really well.
"And next year the Stables Marquee, near the pavilion on the western end, moves down to in front of the old Leger stand, near the new day stalls. That will open up a whole new grassed precinct, so there will be more offerings and we're intending to grow the event.
"It will create more capacity and more comfort for people. We will probably be able to accommodate another 1000 people and it won't feel any more crowded."
He said about 400 owners of runners on the program attended, which was double the usual turn-out.
As for betting turnover on the 10-race meeting, Dowell said he was waiting on fixed odds figures but he believed the overall numbers "will be very comparable to last year".
On the track, the surface, which was rated a Good 4 throughout the meeting, was the star of the day.
The lush grass coverage came in for high praise on Saturday and Dowell said jockeys "were saying it was up there with the best surfaces they've raced on over the past 12 months". He said the message from Racing NSW was that chief Peter V'landys was over the moon with the meeting.
"We sowed the track with rye grass to get through the Cup period [in September] and that assisted," Dowell said.
"Then we had to poison the rye out so there was a time over the last month that the kike has had to come in. The last two weeks it's just jumped with the warmth in the ground."
One negative was the absence of the Melbourne Cup won by Hunter syndicators Australian Bloodstock's Gold Trip.
It was flagged early last week that the cup would likely be trackside for patrons to grab a photograph with and view.
Dowell said he spoke to Australian Bloodstock director Jamie Lovett early in the week about the promotion but he wanted to first check with Racing NSW, who then gave the OK to have the cup on course. He said "it was probably my fault" that it wasn't there.
"I just didn't get back to Jamie quick enough," Dowell said.
"I wasn't able to get back to him until Friday morning, and it was stuck in Melbourne. But I'm hoping to have a chat with Jamie about bringing it up on another race day sometime soon."
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