Racing Education Centre providing pathways in three codes

The former Harness Racing Training Centre, rebranded as the Racing Education Centre this year, has branched out with accredited courses for students seeking employment in harness racing, galloping and greyhounds in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

Founded in 1989 as a section of the local Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE and delivering courses to aspiring harness racing participants on site at Lords Raceway, the business has very much changed with only a few students attending Lords Raceway and the majority now being trained at the workplace or at racetracks around Australia.

“COVID was the catalyst for the centre to diversify and branch out their extensive vocational education knowledge and expertise not only into other racing sectors but other states in Australia,” Racing Education Centre Executive Officer Leigh Graham said.

“We have got a number of qualifications on scope ranging from the very basic Certificate 1 right up to the very extensive Certificate 4.”

As of July 2024 enrolments total 186 across Victoria, NSW and WA.

Victoria has the strongest representation at 150 comprising 78 with Racing Victoria, 40 with Harness Racing Victoria and 32 with Greyhound Racing Victoria.

“We align the harness racing course in Victoria to licensing, so essentially the majority of our enrolments are aligned directly to their application for a new licence whether it is a trainer’s or a driver’s licence,” Graham said.

The harness racing students are delivered course outcomes by former Group 1 winning driver and HRV starter Todd Matthews.

He has assisted the likes of Lochie Cook and Annalise Scott who recently completed their traineeships with their respective employers, their training aligned with the current HRV Driver’s Licensing policy.

New trainers are also required to complete training aligned with the HRV Trainer’s Licensing Policy, the most recent graduate being Katie McCloy, a daughter of the late Norm McCloy (of Bonamax fame), who prepared a winner with her first starter in Talknplay at Shepparton on Tuesday night.

NSW has a focus on Harness Racing, specifically traineeships in workplaces around the State, due to the dedication and drive of HRNSW’s Education and Welfare Manager, Maurice Logue. There are four hubs around the state, with Menangle and Newcastle having five trainees each and Bathurst and Wagga one each.

The success story to come out of this program in its infancy is with the only graduate to date, Jett Turnbull, one of the rising stars among the driver’s ranks in NSW. Ky Bloomfield, George Lee and Lily Painting are also among the list doing the traineeship program.

On the thoroughbred side, Racing Victoria have industry legends Alf Matthews and Darren Gauci delivering Training and Assessment outcomes to 12 apprentice Jockeys.  The majority of the other Racing Victoria enrolments are in entry level training courses focusing on employment outcome. These are very much aligned with the Racing Victoria Workforce Development strategies to assist the industry with access to skilled workers.

WA has a focus on thoroughbred racing at present, particularly trackwork riders, however RWWA is planning to incorporate training to their Harness Racing participants through licensing in the coming years.

“We’ve also got a relationship with Greyhound Racing Victoria putting through five to 10 trainees at tracks around the State,” Graham said.

“GRV have been a recent inclusion to the business focusing on the skills required for track maintenance staff.  They have identified track maintenance as a most important aspect to their product, as the welfare of the racing greyhound relies heavily on how the tracks are prepared.”

by Peter Wharton, for Harness Racing Victoria