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Racing Australia Annual Report 2015
OPERATIONS CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER'S REPORT
continued
(v) Automation of Form Comments
As part of a suite of value added racing materials,
individual form comments have traditionally been
written internally per horse along with race analysis.
During the year Racing Australia developed a complex
algorithm which automated a significant component of
the Form Comments.
The success of this development is best measured
by the fact that unless highlighted those reading the
automatically generated Form Comments were not
aware they were not being manually written.
Over 155,330 individual Form Comments have been
written and used across race books and other print and
digital publications.
This resulted in significant cost savings to the
operations while ensuring high quality Form Comments
continued to be outputted.
(vi) Website & Mobile Website Development & Hosting
Building upon the services provided to a number of
Principal Racing Authorities and Race Clubs Racing
Australia continued to provide a diverse range of digital
development and hosting services.
(vii) Publishing
In a broader environment where print publication sales
are declining Racing Australia has continued to grow
its print services by ongoing innovation and advances
in the customisable types of on course race books and
newspaper form guides it provides pre press services for.
With over 25 different combinations of size and content
now available Racing Australia has been driving
innovation to help ensure the layout and content strike
a balance between the regular and casual racing
participants so that the content is engaging across the
spectrum to help drive wagering turnover.
6. FINANCIALS
Racing Australia has continued to diversify its revenue
streams through offering a diverse range of products
and services to its customers.
Commercial revenue represents 33% ($4,127,441) of
the total of Racing Australia’s revenue for the supply of
racing materials under Copyright licence and Supply
agreements.
Industry based bureau services such as the Trainers
and Racing Services nominations service contributed
9% ($1,109,530) whilst the Registrar of Racehorses
contributed 13 % ($1,542,590) of total revenue.
The acquisition of the assets of the Australian Stud
generated an additional $3,353,631 in revenue from
17 September 2104.
Other revenue includes Single National System funding
and a one off payment received by the Australian
Racing Board in settlement of the McHugh Artificial
Insemination case of $1,200,000.
The Racing Australia net surplus was $2,698,232.
The surplus includes the payment of unbudgeted
expenses such as stamp duty on the acquisition of the
assets of the Australian Stud Book of $733,882, interest
on bank loans of $499,021 and legal and transition costs
of $189,306 attributable to the acquisition of the assets
of the Australian Stud Book.
Through ongoing development of products and
services and further efficiency gains Racing Australia
has budgeted to increase the surplus for the 2015-2016
financial year of $3,600,000.
