Racing and Wagering Western Australia Chief Executive Officer Ian Edwards today announced a partnership between The Races WA and Network 10 to broadcast the 2021 TABtouch Masters, featuring the three $1 million Group 1 races run at Ascot.
“Sport has made a big shift to subscription TV in recent years but racing is bucking the trend in 2021 and making a comeback to free-to-air television across the state,” Ian said.
“We want to show our biggest races and tell our most exciting stories to the widest possible audience and the best way to do that is through live and free coverage on 10.
“This is a chance for us to show the spirit and character of racing, the colour and glamour of fashions on the field, the excitement of owning a share in a racehorse and the dedication which goes into welfare for horses throughout their racing careers and beyond.
“We’re proud of racing in Western Australia and we’re keen to put it on display to the world.”
The TABtouch Masters is the world’s only thoroughbred racing festival featuring a Group 1 race worth at least $1 million on three consecutive Saturdays, all run on the same racetrack.
More than $5 million in prize money will be won across the three days of the TABtouch Masters, including headline races the Heineken 3 Railway Stakes, the Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes and the Drummond Golf Kingston Town Classic.
Perth Racing hosts the horseplay carnival at the superb riverside Ascot Racecourse.
Tourism WA is sponsoring the state’s biggest annual racing festival, which is expected to host 22,000 spectators and inject millions of dollars into the WA economy.
“Visitors to Perth for the TABtouch Masters give a range of businesses a boost through accommodation, entertainment and local tours and experiences,” Ian said.
The live broadcast will be on 10 from 3pm to 5pm for each of the TABtouch Masters race days on 20 November, 27 November and 4 December.