The social side pays the bills during Cup Week

Punters enjoy the atmosphere at Riccarton Park Racecourse during NZ Cup Week.

Socialising during Cup and Show Week is vital to the racing industry, Canterbury Jockey Club chief executive Tim Mills says.

A 2012 economic impact report to Christchurch City Council estimated Cup and Show Week feeds $14.5 million into the Canterbury economy, including TAB racing turnover.

Last Saturday's New Zealand Cup Day at Riccarton contributed under 60 per cent of CJC's annual on-course revenue, Mills said. Much of that income was instead from club memberships, car parks, food and beverage and sponsorships.

Thoroughbred clubs like CJC only get 17 per cent of a betting dollar put through the TAB, so it was better for CJC to charge a flat ticket price than rely on the betting.

"If you're paying $80 to get your member's ticket, you've got to spend about $500 punting, for us to get the equivalent of $80," Mills said.

Cup Day on-course turnover was just over $1 million this year. This was similar to 2013 and more than the lightning-affected 2012, but down on the previous four-year average of $1.4 million.

Nationally, Cup Day is still one of the top two racing events, by reputation and on-course turnover, but increasingly racing clubs have to look beyond the horses for income.

"It's quite ironic because as the crowd has increased, the betting has sort of levelled off. And I think that's to do with the fact we're getting more of a social racing crowd as opposed to what you'd call the traditional racing or punting crowd," Mills said.

Riccarton Park sponsorship and marketing manager Chris Rowe said the CJC's Cup Day crowd of 18,000* was three times larger than any other Canterbury gallops meeting. The event caused vehicle jams at alcohol checkpoints near the entrances.

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The social side pays the bills during Cup Week