Racing Victoria has announced across-the-board increases for Super VOBIS.

From next season, Victorian bred, Super VOBIS nominated horses will race for an additional $1.80 million per season.

“This is great news for Victorian breeders and further demonstrates the advantage of breeding, buying and owning a Victorian bred racehorse,” TBV President James O’Brien said.  “Super VOBIS, in tandem with VOBIS Gold and the new VOBIS Sires, is quite simply the world’s best incentive scheme.

“It provides enormous returns to breeders, trainers and owners and today’s announcement only increases these benefits.  The Victorian breeding industry is on the way up.  The level of recent domestic and international investment in the sector is proof of that.

International investors are buying properties in Victoria to set up breeding establishments or partnering with existing operators.  Victorian based breeders have never been so prominent as major buyers at the broodmare sales across Australia and New Zealand as they have been in recent weeks in Sydney and Gold Coast.

The 2015 breeding season saw a significant increase in the numbers of mares visiting Victorian based stallions while the level of broodmare matings decreased in most other regions of Australia.

In the sales ring, similar results are being achieved.  Melbourne yearling sales average prices have increased by 66% in the four years since VOBIS Gold was established.  This converts to an additional $24 million being spent on mostly Victorian bred yearlings.

On the track, Victorian bred horses are kicking goals with no less than four Group 1 winners in the past month alone.

“On behalf of the Victorian breeding industry and its thousands of participants, I thank Racing Victoria for its growing commitment to VOBIS,” O’Brien continued.  “I also acknowledge and thank the State Government for the significant contribution it makes to VOBIS Gold and the breeding sector.

“The State Government understands the key economic benefits arising from the industry including thousands of jobs in regional Victoria.

“TBV is continuing to work positively with Racing Victoria on several other initiatives to further enhance VOBIS including an online VOBIS nominations system, a new VOBIS marketing plan and measures to support Victorian based sires and their progeny.”