Vic's spring carnival an economic winner

Victoria's Spring Racing Carnival delivered a $540 million boost to the state's economy last year and helped save the national racing industry, state Racing Minister Rob Hulls says.

In a year when the industry was crippled in other states by equine influenza (EI), the Victorian carnival drew strong crowd numbers and spending, he said.

"The uncertainty created by equine influenza had a significant impact on the national racing scene with restrictions on horse movements," Mr Hulls said.

"It was mainly thanks to the efforts of the Victorian racing industry that the national industry has survived and the spring carnival flourished."

The gross economic benefit of the 2007 Spring Racing Carnival to Victoria's economy was $541 million, the second highest on record, Mr Hulls said.

The real gross value added was $229 million, he said.

About 729,000 people attended the 50-day carnival, and Melbourne Cup week attracted its second largest crowd ever with 418,786 people at Flemington.

Racegoers spent more than $23.5 million on fashion, including almost 57,000 hats, more than 16,000 handbags, about 14,000 ties and 769 pairs of gloves, Mr Hulls said.

Attendances were up at country Cup days, by 17 per cent at Moe, seven per cent at Bendigo, more than six per cent at Geelong and 12 per cent at Dunkeld, Mr Hulls said.

The first Australian case of EI was confirmed in August in a stallion awaiting release from Sydney's Eastern Creek quarantine centre after travelling from the northern hemisphere.

NSW was declared free of horse flu last month and Queensland is expected to be declared free of the disease soon.