Christmas brings good news for the local racing industry building on the very successful year the industry has had.

In Queensland the increased interest in racing has lead to several exciting developments. The Turf club's chairman Bill Millican has confirmed a proposal for Brisbane race clubs Eagle Farm and Doomben to merge to form a super race club. (Gold Coast Bulletin, November 06).

Locally on the Gold Coast the Turf Club has had a very good year, and Magic Millions goes from strength to strength. This success is forcing the industry to look for other options as it is being squeezed by current facilities. Plans are being developed to expand the Bundall facility to increase capacity from seating 16,000 people to more than 30,000 over the next five years with a projected $30 million to be spent on new grandstands, a revamped marquee area, the re - alignment of the main track and a new all - weather track.

Magic Millions sales have steadily increased, as well as international recognition as a major event. This growth in sales and reputation has lead to a proposal being investigated for a winter sales program, tied to racing carnival similar to the January format. If funding permits a move to a venue of international standard on the Gold Coast could eventuate.

In Victoria, confirmation has just been recently received that Melbourne has staged its most successful spring carnival. Attendance over the 50 days of spring carnival was up more than 40,000 over last year, reaching 770,442. This included breaking the 400,000 attendance for the first time at the Flemington four - day carnival. Off-course turnover increased $22 million and on-course turnover increased $4.2 million. 

The increase in attendance and turnover all augers well for the industry as a whole and as facilities improve such as has happened at Flemington new benchmarks will continue to be set.