Former prime minister Bob Hawke inspires potential new suburb at Thoroughbred Park

The Canberra racing site is set to look very different before long as they await response from government on their proposal to upgrade facilities and undergo residential and commercial development.

After lodging their Territory Plan Variation in September last year, the review process is expected to take approximately two years. Clark believes it is "making progress".

"It is a long process that we're going through. We're trying to set the club up and the industry up for long-term financial security," he said.

The Canberra Carnival last weekend saw patrons flood through the gates at Thoroughbred Park in pre-pandemic numbers. It was a welcome sight for the region's racing industry that was hit hard during the worst of COVID-19, but the site is in desperate need of an upgrade.

"Race tracks are very large spaces of land, and there are better ways of doing things now," Clark said.

"We've been here since the early '60s and Canberra was a very different town then, to what it is in 2022.

"The stables were built in the '60s, and obviously equine welfare has come a long way, so we'd like to refresh what the horses have for their housing and move that to the centre of the course.

"Then we can open up those areas for housing, commercial development, and then re-invest money back into facilities and non-race day event potential for the community to enjoy as well."

As part of Clark's vision, plans include 3,200 dwellings, which he said has been supported by extensive community consultation and could involve the creation of a new suburb.

"It makes perfect sense when you've got two light rail stops right at your doorstep to try and use your land for the best use for the community, and that's what we're looking at," he said.

The last major work completed was way back in 1988, when Queen Elizabeth II had the honour of opening the new grandstand in front of 16,000 people during a visit to the capital for Australia's bicentenary.

"I would have turned 10 in 1988, so it's quite a while since then," Clark said.

The Queen was accompanied on that day in May by a fellow racing enthusiast, then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke, and it could be the latter that inspires the name of a potential new suburb wedged between Lyneham, Downer and Watson.

"I don't want to tell the government how to how to name their suburb, but I think Hawke could be a fantastic name for it," Clark said.

"Most suburbs are named after politicians.

"Bob was here with the Queen when the grandstand was opened and he showed her around.

"I remember him clearly when his horse won the Golden Slipper in Sydney too, so he was an avid racing fan. I think it would sit well for him to to lend his name to a suburb surrounded by a racecourse."

With house and land prices in Canberra sky-rocketing in recent years, the redevelopment plans will be a "significant" cash injection for Thoroughbred Park, surpassing initial projections from their business planning in 2019.

It follows several other racing sites around the nation such as Eagle Farm and Mooney Valley that have undergone similar upgrades.

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