Ian Edwards: We’ve got our critics, but racing is striving to be better

Since the first 17 horses thundered down the Flemington straight to contest the first Melbourne Cup in 1861, the iconic annual event has gone on to become the race that stops the nation.

Think Phar Lap, the people’s hero who brought such joy during the Great Depression. Think Makybe Diva, the mighty mare who went from being a champion to become a legend on winning her third successive Melbourne Cup in 2005.

Think Rogan Josh, the modest gelding who came fourth at Bunbury in his first race in 1997 before becoming a Melbourne Cup winner less than three years later under the guidance of now-late racing great Bart Cummings.

Think Michelle Payne, the ground breaking female jockey who showed as much power in her after-race words as she did with her hands when pushing out 100-1 roughie Prince of Penzance to an unlikely victory in 2015.

And while the nation will again come to a standstill to watch the great race in togetherness today, the truth is that the racing never really stops as it plays out its fundamental role in significantly bolstering Australia’s economy in pretty much every nook and cranny across the country.

Here in WA, the racing industry pumps in $1.3 billion a year in economic contribution, bringing both excitement to communities from the far north to the deep south — even out to the desert — and engages more than 20,000 people in some form of employment.

Nearly half of that financial contribution is generated out in our regions, where country cups are celebrated with just as much heart and community spirit as if they actually were the Melbourne Cup.

While racing may have its detractors, the sport was able to elevate into the clear vision of Australians as it met the strictest of protocols to provide continued and much-needed entertainment during the COVID storm, while almost everything else ground to a temporary halt.

It allowed people to better understand the industry and brought its hard-working participants together in a committed unity like never before.

That said, while we are proud of everything we have achieved to date, we still believe we can do better.

Better in the way we share our great moments. Better in the way we come together in times of adversity. Better in the way our athletes are and feel treated — both animal and human.

Racing towards better in everything we do together across the entire industry.

And even though Australia will singularly celebrate the crowning of another Melbourne Cup champion today, our mission is far from just for the now.

The racing industry’s rich history is filled with generations of families and their friends and we are dedicated to providing communities with the same purpose through racing for many generations to come.

From the jockeys who sacrifice so much of their young lives to start work while most others are still asleep, to the administrators, workers and volunteers who combine to make the racing possible and the countless participants who care for their animals so deeply that they are often brought to tears as they go about their business.

They are the many people who make our community so vibrant.

We are proud of how far the industry has come and what it provides for so many. And we are equally as proud of what we are doing as we race towards better.

Ian Edwards is the chief executive officer of Racing WA