4 NT NEWS. Saturday, January 18, 2014. www.ntnews.com.au PUB: NT NEWS DATE: 18-JAN-2014 PAGE: 4 COLOR: C M Y K NEWS l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au Your Say: WOULD you support night races at Fannie Bay? NO I play touch footy there, but at the end of the day it wouldn’t affect me. KHIA DE SILVA, Coconut Grove YES I suppose, but I’m not a punter. I might go to a night event for the novelty. ANTONIO ALVAREX, Tipperary Waters YES I enjoy a punt, but I haven’t been to a race up here since I got here. They’re good elsewhere though, like the Albion Park trots. MICKEY JOHNSTON, Stuart Park NO I’m not into racing, I’m not much of an animal person. JACK PARADISIS, Nightcliff YES Sure, I would go. I’m not really a punter, but I think we need more stuff like this. I might go if it was an event. ANDREW RACE, Parap An idea well worth a punt Night racing — a feature at interstate tracks such as Moonee Valley — could soon be on show in Darwin THE prospect of watching thoroughbred horses run around a racetrack after dark is nothing new in Australia. More well-known courses such as Melbourne’s Moonee Valley and Sydney’s Canter- bury have been racing under lights for a few years now, with some success. What would be exciting about introducing floodlit gal- lops at Fannie Bay would be the countless opportunities such a venture would bring. Young people would have an alternative to just ‘‘head- ing to the pub’’ on a Friday or Saturday night. The sprawling Darwin Turf Club headquarters has proven it can handle large crowds with its annual Cup Carnival every dry season. But add another ingredient — racing as the sun sets on a balmy dry season evening — and you have a recipe for success. Throw in exposure to Asian racing through Sky Channel coverage and the em- bryonic idea could add huge value to the Darwin product. Imagine leading trainers and horses from Hong Kong and Singapore at Fannie Bay. It all sounds wonderful on paper but there is a signifi- cant downside — cost. Those in the know say it would cost close to $7 million to install lighting around the course. Any proposal certainly re- quires NT Government back- ing but Chief Minister Adam Giles is known to support it. Night racing at The Valley and Canterbury only hap- pens in the summer. That means there could be a lucrative loophole for an or- ganisation with an entre- preneurial vision and will- ingness to ‘‘give it a go’’. Racing Around Page 46

NEWS YourSay: WOULDyousupportnightracesatFannieBay? · Imagine leading trainers and horses from Hong Kong and Singapore at Fannie Bay. It all sounds wonderful on paper but there is

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Page 1: NEWS YourSay: WOULDyousupportnightracesatFannieBay? · Imagine leading trainers and horses from Hong Kong and Singapore at Fannie Bay. It all sounds wonderful on paper but there is

4 NT NEWS. Saturday, January 18, 2014. www.ntnews.com.au

8-J

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NEWS l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au

Your Say:WOULD you support night races at Fannie Bay?

NO I play touch footythere, but at the endofthe day itwouldn’taffectme.

KHIADESILVA,CoconutGrove

YES I suppose, but I’mnot a punter. Imight goto a night event for thenovelty.

ANTONIOALVAREX,TipperaryWaters

YES I enjoy a punt,but I haven’t been to arace uphere since I gothere. They’re goodelsewhere though, liketheAlbionPark trots.

MICKEY JOHNSTON,StuartPark

NO I’mnot into racing,I’mnotmuchof ananimal person.

JACKPARADISIS,Nightcliff

YESSure, Iwould go.I’mnot really a punter,but I thinkweneedmore stuff like this. Imight go if itwas anevent.

ANDREWRACE,Parap

An idea well worth a punt

Night racing — a feature at interstate tracks such as Moonee Valley — could soon be on show in Darwin

THE prospect of watchingthoroughbred horses runaround a racetrack after darkis nothing new in Australia.

More well-known coursessuch as Melbourne’s MooneeValley and Sydney’s Canter-bury have been racing underlights for a few years now,with some success.

What would be excitingabout introducing floodlit gal-lops at Fannie Bay would bethe countless opportunitiessuch a venture would bring.

Young people would havean alternative to just ‘‘head-ing to the pub’’ on a Friday orSaturday night.

The sprawling DarwinTurf Club headquarters hasproven it can handle largecrowds with its annual CupCarnival every dry season.

But add another ingredient— racing as the sun sets on abalmy dry season evening —and you have a recipe for suc-cess. Throw in exposure toAsian racing through SkyChannel coverage and the em-

bryonic idea could add hugevalue to the Darwin product.Imagine leading trainers andhorses from Hong Kong andSingapore at Fannie Bay.

It all sounds wonderful onpaper but there is a signifi-cant downside — cost. Thosein the know say it would costclose to $7 million to installlighting around the course.

Any proposal certainly re-quires NT Government back-ing but Chief Minister AdamGiles is known to support it.

Night racing at The Valleyand Canterbury only hap-pens in the summer.

That means there could bea lucrative loophole for an or-ganisation with an entre-preneurial vision and will-ingness to ‘‘give it a go’’.

RacingAroundPage46