The Cairns Jockey Club is set for an exciting new development with Racing Queensland agreeing to fund a $1.3 million events centre at Cannon Park.
With racing in Far North Queensland poised to take centre stage in the coming months, construction of the new facility is expected to commence following the Red Beret Hotel Cairns Cup Carnival and the Cairns Amateurs Carnival race meetings.
A development application to build the events centre was recently approved by Cairns Regional Council.
The new facility will include a function room and kitchen with a bar and dining area overlooking the course at the end of the home straight, just past the winning post.
The project is expected to create more than a dozen employment opportunities during construction, with work expected to be completed by the end of June next year.
CJC Treasurer Greg Stanton hailed the events centre as a welcome addition to Cannon Park.
“Our events give people the opportunity to let their hair down and have a good time, usually if the community is doing well, the (Cairns) Jockey Club is going well,” Mr Stanton said.
“The Cairns Cup is a great celebration and it just keeps getting better and better, with the recently acquired new starting gates, the track’s in the best state it has ever been and so are the facilities.”
Following record pre-sales for this year’s Red Beret Hotel Cairns Cup Carnival, CJC President Tom Hedley believes this year could be the biggest and best two days of racing hosted by the Cairns Jockey Club.
The club is currently expanding and improving the track infrastructure and facilities to cope with the extra demand expected this year.
“We’re really lucky to have a first-class racecourse in Cairns,” Mr Hedley said.
The TAB Queensland Northern Winter Racing Carnival will arrive in the Far North on August 21 with the running of the $75,000 Cairns Newmarket.
The following week the $150,000 Cairns Cup will headline a card that also includes the $50,000 Magic Millions Daintree Guineas and the $30,000 Lightening Open Handicap.
Racing Queensland Deputy Chair Sharon Dawson said the funding had been provided to elevate the patron experience at Cannon Park and to provide an additional revenue stream for the club.
“Cannon Park is the home of racing up here in the Far North and will only be enhanced through this development,” Ms Dawson said.
“By providing a new events centre, patrons will be able to enjoy events such as the Cairns Cup – and the Amateurs – in style, whilst providing the opportunity for the club to host non-raceday events such as weddings, birthdays and celebrations.
“On an annual basis, racing contributes more than $34 million to the Cairns economy and its important that we continue to invest in its infrastructure for now and into the future.”
A tender for the construction of the project is expected to open this month.