The Coalition has announced Scone Race Club will receive $20 million under a program to upgrade regional horse racing tracks.
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Racing Minister Kevin Anderson and Nationals Upper Hunter MP Dave Layzell said the grant would deliver a new state-of-the-art training track and 300 new stables.
The grant comes from the $67 million Racing for Regions program set up in 2021.
"Racing in NSW is big business and, in the Upper Hunter, it's also a way of life," Mr Anderson said.
Mr Layzell, pictured, said Scone would have 520 stables after the revamp, making it the largest training centre in NSW outside Sydney.
Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding said his organisation had partnered with the government to upgrade country training infrastructure.
Scone chairman Alastair Pulford said the club envisaged the track becoming the "benchmark" for training outside Sydney.
Mr Anderson also officially opened the upgraded Muswellbrook greyhound track while visiting the Upper Hunter electorate on Sunday.
The upgrade will allow Muswellbrook to host TAB race meetings, though the first such meeting scheduled for March 11 has been postponed because of problems with the turf on the track.
Mr Anderson said Muswellbrook was a greyhound racing "heartland" and the government's $1.2 million contribution to the town's track would "ensure the long-term success of the club and the health and safety of greyhounds".
Greyhound Racing NSW bought the track from the Greyhound Breeders, Owners and Trainers Association in 2021.
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Michael Parris
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
Michael Parris reports on politics for the Newcastle Herald. He started at the Herald in 1994 after working in the ABC Newcastle newsroom. Michael spent much of his career as a sub-editor before moving into political reporting in 2017. He was a finalist in the Sports Australia national media awards for his stories about a male-only tennis club in Newcastle. He has covered NSW and federal elections, state and federal budgets and local politics. He has also written extensively about the COVID-19 pandemic with a special focus on data analysis and the effects of lockdowns on the Hunter community.
