Bren O'Brien

Sportsbet’s parent company Flutter has cited racing industry challenges as a key driver in an 18 per cent drop in revenue for the Australian arm of the global wagering giant.

One of the key arguments made by the Australian Turf Club in its pitch to members to sell Rosehill is that racing’s popularity is on the decline. But the varying data on this crucial point reveals a much broader challenge for the racing industry.

ATC members will receive free membership for five years and up to $1000 a year to spend at the races as part of a huge incentive push for the Australian Turf Club to secure the approval of the sale of Rosehill racecourse.

Unloved and unvarnished for 25 years, Warwick Farm, under the gun from the very start of Peter V’landys’ tenure in charge of Racing New South Wales, has remarkably emerged as the possible saviour of the Australian Turf Club’s plan to sell Rosehill.

While Godolphin’s Australian operation is undergoing a period of change, globally it was one of the most significant weekends in the Blue Army’s long history, including a long-awaited Kentucky Derby victory. Run The Numbers charts Godolphin’s extraordinary Group 1 record.

Record growth in wagering and viewership for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby point to a resurgence in the interest in horse racing in the United States.

Riverstone’s entry into the stallion market via Breeders’ Cup winner Starlust has been described by the Hunter Valley farm as a “game-changer” for the fledgling operation.