262,000 attend Melbourne Cup Spring Carnival.

[Chief Stipe]

VRC announce results at AGM

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Five Victoria Racing Club directors have been elected without ballot to the board at the club’s AGM on Thursday.

The VRC announced on Thursday that incumbent directors David Barham, Glenn Carmody, Vincent Cox, Michael Saadie and Neil Wilson will continue to bring a passion for racing and a wealth of experience to the across an array of industries, according to the club chairman.

"The VRC board of directors will continue to serve in the best interests of VRC members and strive towards the club’s vision of being a world leader in racing, events and experiences" Neil Wilson said.

"Last season saw the club reach a new record level of membership with 33,120 members, cementing the VRC as the largest member-based racing club in the world.

"We thank all members for their loyalty and support as we continue what has already been a great 2023/24 season of racing and events at Flemington.’’

At the AGM, Wilson and the club’s chief executive Steve Rosich acknowledged the highlights and challenges of the 2022/]23 racing season.

"The VRC is pleased to report a positive EBITDA for the financial year 2022/23 after strategic investments and we are well placed to drive our earnings and enhance our balance sheet for the future," Rosich said.

More than 244,000 people attended Cup Week in 2022 despite challenging weather, with other highlights from the 2022/23 racing season including:

• Approximately 2.5 million people tuned in to watch the 2022 Lexus Melbourne Cup across all platforms, including the Network 10 broadcast, 10 Play, Racing.com, KAYO, the TAB app, Sky Racing and the VRC’s own Inside Run platform.
• The inaugural TAB Champions Stakes Day was introduced as the new spring grand finale for Australia’s best gallopers.
• A record wagering result for the Melbourne Cup Carnival with an increase of more than 7% on 2021’s record.
• Australian Childhood Foundation becoming the 16th charity to partner with the VRC, with more than $480,000 raised in the first year of the Pin & Win partnership.
• More than $1 million raised in total for various charities across Cup Week.

The 2023 Melbourne Cup Carnival saw Flemington Racecourse host the biggest four days in Australian racing, as more than 262,000 fans enjoyed the carnival at the track, an increase of 7.5% on 2022, and new records set for fundraising initiatives.

"In 2023 the VRC was proud to set a new fundraising record for the Melbourne Cup Carnival Pin & Win initiative with $544,000 raised for Australian Childhood Foundation," Wilson said.