Isuzu delivers quality Melbourne Cup coverage

Television coverage of the revered 'race that stops a nation' is delivered courtesy of a six-strong fleet of technology-packed Isuzu trucks

When Australia – and indeed the horse racing world – pauses on the first Tuesday in November for the Melbourne Cup, the racing coverage will be beamed around the country and around the globe by a specialist television production company backed by some highly specialised Isuzu trucks.

Thoroughbred Racing Productions (TRP) was formed in 2008 to handle Racing Victoria's broadcast requirements and now – in addition to the Melbourne Cup – it delivers live coverage of around 550 Victorian race meets each year.

The company's Technical Operations Manager, Charles Cole, said the firm's N and F series Isuzu trucks play a crucial role with exacting requirements.

"The trucks were purpose built by [Melbourne-based firm] Rambler Concept Vehicles and fitted out with our broadcast equipment by Sony," he said.

"The way we've set it up is that we have three broadcast trucks and essentially three support trucks. The FVL 1400 is our main broadcast truck for metropolitan meetings and it's basically a fully functioning TV control room – to replace it in today’s terms you’d be looking at around $5 million.

"Accompanying the FVL is our main grip truck, the FSD 850, and that carries all of the extras – cameras, cables, and tripods. The smaller trucks – two NQR 450s and two FSR 700s – are used for the country race meets and already they’ve clocked up about 300,000km each."

TRP usually has 25 staff in place to cover a meeting, utilising 18 or so cameras dotted around the track. The arsenal includes a camera in a tracking vehicle, microwave-link cameras at the barrier, low-angle replay cameras, extreme slow motion cameras and more. The company also handles cameras that fulfil the race stewards' judicial requirements, and delivers betting odds, virtual graphics and race replays.

Mr Cole says the Isuzu trucks have amply proved their worth.

"The proof is in the pudding; we've been operating now for almost six years and we haven't had any major issues with any of the trucks," he said.

"Our smaller trucks have clocked up a fair few kilometres and they’re still going strong.

"I've been in the industry for close to 40 years and I've always had Isuzu vehicles in the different companies I’ve worked for. They've always proved to be reliable and that's exactly what we needed."

Mr Cole maintains a strict maintenance schedule for the vehicles, and says he will make a thorough assessment of the fleet in the next year or two.

"It will probably be around the seven to eight year mark when we will need to take a look at all of our equipment, including the vehicles," he said.

"What we may end up doing is replacing the drive train and that should see us right for another 500,000km."

Isuzu delivers quality Melbourne Cup coverage

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