We are about to embark on the 1st season since the definition of the official breeder was changed in what can only be described as a hushed and rushed process by HRA last year. Under the new definition the official breeder is the person who owned the mare at the time of conception.

This appears to me as a change which would only benefit large breeders - in some cases those who own their own stallions - who turn over a lot of mares in foal at dispersals. I believe that a foal is bred when it is on the ground and feeding from it's mum. The only person who incurs all of the cost factors of breeding a foal is the person who owns a mare at the time of foaling.

We now have a situation where the person who incurs the breeding costs isn't always the person who can access the lucrative vicbred breeders bonus and breeders share of vicbred prize money. I really can't see any need for this change in the first place and called Andrew Kelly to express this view last year. When I aired my vicbred concern he assured me that allocation of the vicbred bonuses would be unaffected and continue to be awarded to the foal notifier. However having just looked at vicbred eligibility for foals "conceived" in the new season this is NOT THE CASE.

What do others think?

Do we know of any large breeders who may or may not own their own stallions who turnover a lot of mares and may have the ear of HRA?