This complex, on the corner of Racecourse Drive and Taralga Road, will be an important component of an ambitious hoped-for upgrade and expansion of the track and its facilities. It will be built on a 12-block subdivision with direct access to the racetrack, as well as Racecourse Drive.

The land was bought late last year from Goulburn and District Racing Club by low-profile Southern Highlands-based Graglee Group Pty Limited. The property was sold by private treaty in one lot, with subdivision approval, and at arm’s length from the club, by a Goulburn real estate agent.

Since then, prospective buyers of individual blocks have lined up to express interest in setting up stables in Goulburn. GDRC CEO, Greg Wilson, in a “heads-up” to Goulburn Mulwaree Council last week, and also to the Goulburn Post on Monday, said there had been inquiries from about 30 trainers from around Australia, and New Zealand.

Mr Wilson said there had also been two or three inquiries from vets about building a veterinary hospital. Around 70 full-time jobs, on-going, would be needed at the complex after its completion.

But Mr Wilson cautioned that the final scope of the development – named as “Graglee Horse Park” on a current on-site billboard – depended on how Racing NSW deployed its High Court-decided windfall of tens of millions of dollars.

The NSW racing industry’s controlling body now has at its disposal a $100 million “pot” of corporate bookmakers’ turnover tax accrued in escrow over the past four years. After a bitter legal battle through every available jurisdiction, the bookies eventually lost a bid to have NSW Government legislation mandating a 1.5pc turnover tax thrown out. In addition to the $100m which Racing NSW collected, awaiting the outcome of the legal battle, the industry will now also reap around $50m a year in bookies’ tax. Racing NSW wants to spend some of the cash on developing a series of high tech regional racing and training centres of excellence.

Goulburn has long harboured hopes and ambitions of being chosen as the South-eastern NSW centre. Even if that doesn’t eventuate – and it isn’t guaranteed – racing at Goulburn will get a hefty increase in prize money and other incentives to attract more owners, trainers and other industry participants.

A team of Racing NSW experts are now auditing and evaluating competing needs and proposals from hopeful Provincial and Country race clubs, prior to putting forward plans for the greatest shake-up and revival of the industry in its history.

“Everyone (race clubs) has a list of proposals they want to see get up,” Mr Wilson told the Post.

“Graglee Horse Park’s final shape depends a lot on the way Racing NSW takes us into the future.

“Also, people who’ve expressed interest in buying land there were dependent on the High Court case’s outcome before committing.

“With all these expressions of interest, the developer for the past three months has just been looking over them and putting it all together to work out what people want.”

Mr Wilson said each of the dozen blocks available were large enough to accommodate a modern training set-up and house. Each could be along the lines of the 30-box facility used by GDRC’s talisman trainer, Guy Walter, at the other side of the racecourse.

A vet hospital could be similarly accommodated. Veterinary and racing sources have told the Post the insatiable demand for housing land made it impossible for existing veterinary hospitals and farms to remain much longer in the South-western Sydney region. Goulburn, with its geographical positioning, excellent access, full range of established community facilities, available cheaper land and top class racecourse, was a logical place to relocate these big vet centres.