A formal review by Racing Victoria and the Victorian Racing Club (VRC) has led to the announcement that there will be no emergency runners added for the 2015 Melbourne Cup.
The review found “that Australian and international pari-mutuel operators remain unable to accommodate field sizes in excess of 24 and would have to invest significantly in upgrades, while requiring regulatory approvals, to change this.”
The review also states the Victorian racing industry would be up for direct charges related to upgrades via its joint-venture partnership with Tabcorp, with no certainty of getting the investment back from increased wagering activity.
It concluded that the inclusion of emergencies should be reassessed every two years, and that compulsory pre-acceptance veterinary examinations will play an important part in managing which horses accept for the race.
VRC Chief Executive Simon Love said the VRC supports the review’s findings that the introduction of emergencies for the Melbourne Cup is not presently commercially viable.
Pari-mutuel calculations are no-doubt capable of handling more than 24 runners, with minimal investment.
However, The Roar understands that the expensive changes come from physical limitations.
Changes would include special TAB tickets that show more than 24 boxes for betting on a potential 25th or 26th chances for win/place and exotics, and TAB terminal machines would need a software update to the screen display to show more than 24 chances.
While many will decry the lack of emergencies in the case of late scratchings to run a full-field, the RV/VRC view appears to be the weight of money bet on the Cup will be there regardless of the emergency situation.
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