Mixed messages as crowd grows and turnover drops at Warrnambool carnival

Growth in crowds and increased engagement on major races helped bolster the Warrnambool May Racing Carnival, but the three-day event also followed an industry trend of an annual decrease in turnover, which was 3.6 per cent down on 2026.

Total attendance at the Victorian racetrack across the three days, May 5, 6 and 7, reached 29,153, representing an increase of 666 year-on-year. Growth was driven by gains on Brierly Day (Tuesday) (+478) and the feature Thursday Grand Annual Day (+341), while Galleywood Day, held on Wednesday, recorded a modest decline (-153).

Total wagering turnover for 2026 was $52.39 million, a decline of 3.6 per cent compared to 2025 and 4.35 per cent below forecast. This is slightly better than the reported trends across Victorian racing over the past month but does point to some challenges.

The Warrnambool Racing Club re-signed a five-year naming rights deal with Tabcorp in 2025, and the additional focus placed on that agreement was evident in wagering data.

The club reported Victorian TAB turnover increased by $0.7 million, representing a 7 per cent year-on-year rise, while TAB free bet turnover also grew by 10 per cent.

The carnival is renowned for its strong betting ring, and on-course bookmaker turnover remained stable year-on-year.

However, it was in other aspects of the corporate bookmaking environment that the Victorian carnival experienced a decline, with wagering by non-TAB bookmakers falling by $2.6 million.

With strong Tabcorp branding and promotion, it would appear the other major bookmakers moved away from targeting customers via promotions across the three days, with a 13 per cent decline in overall free bet turnover.

Where betting on the racing programme saw particular growth was across two of the key races.  

The Grand Annual Steeplechase, won in epic fashion by Instigator, generated $3 million in turnover, an increase of 7 per cent over the previous year. While turnover on the Wangoom Handicap jumped 22 per cent year-on-year.

Data from the 2025 edition of the carnival showed total visitor spend exceeded $17 million, with $10.3 million identified as new money injected into the Warrnambool economy. It also showed that 53 per cent of attendees booked accommodation and stayed an average of 3.85 nights.

Data released by the club in a survey taken during the 2026 edition show an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars from attendees with 95 per cent indicating they were likely or very likely to return in 2027.

The survey showed attendees continue to be drawn by a mix of tradition, quality racing, and social experience. The atmosphere was identified as the standout feature by 86 per cent of respondents, followed by jumps racing (83 per cent) and flat racing (59 per cent).