Night racing on Canberra Racing election agenda

That's why the man behind Canberra's A-League Men bid Michael Caggiano is floating ideas like night racing and introducing the ACT's own versions of the $2 million Kosciuszko and Highway Handicaps at Thoroughbred Park.

Caggiano and former Canberra Racing vice-chairperson Dan Carton set up Friends of Canberra Racing in response to the ACT Greens' moves to shut down the racing industry.

They're part of a FoCR group - along with Daniel Gaul and Kacey Lam-Evans, who ran for the Senate at the last federal election - that's running for election at the annual general meeting on October 11.

There's 10 candidates applying for six positions on the board, including current Canberra Racing board members Liz Clarke and Les Boag, while Clarke's husband Greg Friedewald, Emmanuel Notaras, Mathew Ryan and Darren Carden have also thrown their hats into the ring.

Thoroughbred Park's under attack from the ACT Greens who, having shut down greyhound racing in Canberra, now want to do the same to horse racing.

It comes as the industry faces a trainer exodus from the capital due to crippling workers compensation insurance and a lack of access to the lucrative Highway Handicap series in Sydney.

The Canberra Times revealed high-profile Canberra trainer Nick Olive will move to Queanbeyan at the end of September where his workers comp bill will be slashed from more than $100,000 to about $3000 just by moving across the border.

Caggiano wants to use Thoroughbred Park's proposed redevelopment to help set up Canberra Racing for life.

He's floated night racing to help reinvigorate the industry, while also pushing for the introduction of more feature races.

"Unless people try new things it's only going one way. I don't want it to be the same - if it's the same it will die," Caggiano said.

"That club should be super rich with that development and we want to put that money to use in racing and the community.

"We could have our own Kosciuszko. We could have our own Highways.

"We could offset the insurance because the club could afford to and it means trainers stay.

"There are ideas there. Night racing is a no-brainer to me, I think people would get excited about that.

"Imagine Thursday or Friday night down at the track with twilight races under lights, then they can take the tram into the city if they want to kick on.

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"Or you've got food stands out there or night markets, like the noodle markets.

"I grew up at that racetrack with my grandfather and there used to be 10,000-20,000 people out there now there's lucky to be a couple of hundred.

"It needs to be turned around or the Greens will kill it."

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