It took more than two years, but the Quebec Jockey Club finally has legislative clearance for rule changes it needed to rebuild a teletheatre network in Quebec
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Publication of the amended rules in the Quebec government’s official gazette this week means they’ll take effect in two weeks. The jockey club hopes to open the first of five teletheatres as early as July.
“We’re obviously very happy with this decision that brings optimism back to our industry,” said QJC president Tony Infilise.
The rule change authorizes as many as five teletheatres for any horse racing licensee that presents 20 live programs a year. There can be an additional five teletheatres if it presents 40 live programs, and one more for every 10 programs beyond that.
The new rules will allow the jockey club to bring racing to a wider audience and significantly increase revenue to help relaunch the sport in Quebec, Infilise said.
The provincial teletheatre network developed by Hippodrome de Montreal went dark when Attractions Hippiques, the government-chosen private operator of all four Quebec tracks, folded in 2009.
The Jockey Club inaugurated its 2012 live harness racing season last weekend at Hippodrome de Quebec.
(A Trot Insider Exclusive by Paul Delean)