Yes of course the sale of horses to the US has to do with more then just the level of prizemoney, but I hardly think our industry has the ability to to change the exchange rate. The dollar is low against the greenback, and expected federal monetary policy for around the next 18 months is intended to lower the dollar further to make Australian businesses more competitive on world markets. I doubt Wayne you’ll get the Reserve Bank to change its mind to keep Aussie standardbreds in Australia so perhaps it’s best we concentrate on what we can do.
I doubt we can elicit a guarantee from owners to not sell their horses overseas though perhaps it is possible to increase the export fee, possibly in line with ratings points or earnings, and obtain a further contribution to the overall industry on their departure. Of course that could just see them sold sooner.
In many respects Wayne I don’t see it as a negative to bolster prizemoney in the “sales sector” and encourage people to produce horses targeted at this sector and the export market so long as they are equally as motivated to reinvest in the industry.
You’ll note I did write some money shaved from the elite level races as well, can’t imagine why you would think that is not inclusive of top end juvenile races, though a number of those are funded from breeder and owner contributions which shouldn’t be sequestered for other purposes.
Well despite not having a fast class horse to sell, and like many others not “happy” that overall prizemoney is low I would be entirely happy that on average but not necessarily exclusively that prizemoney for lower class races is lower and prizemoney is tiered toward higher rated horses.
Is it not enough for you Wayne that your “C0” has increased opportunities to earn in lower rated races by now being protected from the more progressive juveniles entering open age racing at higher level then they would have in the past, and not getting an easy kill over your “C0” as they made their way through the grades as it was previously. That the weakest “C0s” having established their “credentials” are protected altogether from more progressive horses of any age?
Is that, the opportunity for more “C0” prizemoney to be distributed amongst genuine “C0s” not worth the “C0s” sacrificing some of their overall prizemoney for? Or do you think it unworthy that those owners of more progressive horses who sacrifice easier earning opportunities under the rating system be compensated somewhat by racing for a higher stake then those now enjoying increased earning opportunities protected by the ratings systems?
In my view “C0s” expecting to enjoy racing under the benefits of the ratings system with no adjustment to prizemoney distribution across the ratings system for those who sacrifice opportunity isn’t just unfair it’s greed Wayne.
I didn’t see the noms Wayne, Ill take your word for it but somehow I don’t see any of those trotters having been nominated for the Monte trot.