HRV Trotting Plan

Just saw on the harness.org.au site some of the details of the strategic plan announced today at Maryborough. Can firstly say that I think the new state government seem to walking the walk in terms of industry support. Secondly, this strategic plan is Ken latta's first opportunity stamp his brand on the industry so I applaud the fact he is willing to try some different things in regard to differentiating the Vic industry through this trotting proposal. However, I am concerned that investment/concessions for trotters in this plan will come at the expense of the pacing side of the sport. For example, "stake money allocation to rise from 17 to 25% of total distribution" and vicbred 2yo finals for fillies and colts. $500,000 trot race. Unless the government are specifically funding these initiatives I can only see such promises being funded by the pacers... Leading to less earning opportunities for a large pool of elite pacing horses and heavily subsidised earning potential for a small pool of mediocre trotters.

victoria is broke...hence

The Victorian Coalition Government this year announced a $79.5 million Victorian Racing Industry Fund (VRIF) which includes $10 million to boost the local breeding industry

HRV should looking at 2 metro meetings a week, 1 for paces & 1 for trotters there is way to much age racing & claimers so this will help HRV move horses through the grade, But lets be honest HRV are broke, how sad is it that this great sport have to put the footy on the big screan at Melton on a Friday night to try and get a croud

age racing and the claimers are as competitive as any other races... how would they afford to put on 2 metro meetings a week? they could also get horses through their grades by not having 14/15 horses in every race

I actually like the idea their not going to cut the throats of the pacer just help the trotter along a bit or bring it more into line. At most country Vic meetings there are a 2yld, 3yld, class trot and some various class racing not that many open FFA and age racing unless its a cup or futurity event. The feeling I get is the ID is dead as a traveling billboard for harness racing and will eventually be picked up in W.A. its birthplace as one of their yearly events and its every state for themselves now Victoria have an affinity with the trotters and it looks that they are giving up on the ID and going to drive the trotting events big time here and overseas. Long over due is the splitting of the sexes and reasonable prize money as well as more of a incentive to breed and race a better quality trotter down under.

Hello nat,

As I said at the beginning of the post, I don't want to pot the plan, because it is showing initiative in it's efforts to differentiate the sport in Victoria. However I am concerned that enhancements for trotters will come from the pacing pie. At present hrv pay out approx $38 mil in prize money ( that's about 3 times Nsw payouts for the last 10 years triple ). Of this $38 mil, pacers receive $31.5 mil or 83%. now any proposal to raise the trotting allocation to 25% means that the pacing share dwindles to 75% or $28.5 mil. This is $3 mil ripped out of the pacing pie.

As to your point about single sex vicbred finals etc I can't see any justification for running 2 group 1 2yo trotting finals. The product is just not good enough... This years gp 1 vicbred final of 11 2 yo trotters contained 6 maidens!!! I love the sport and both gaits but I will not bet on 2 yo trotters.

The argument then becomes: do we raise the incentives to race trotters and wait several years for this to flow through our breeding industry to ensure the product IS better. Or do we stick with the status quo. I don't know the answer, but I am concerned about tinkering with the more viable side of the business in pacers.

Hi Termite

3 whole million of the big pie to a part of the breed that internationally is bigger than pacing is not much and that has more potential to bring in international interest than the pacer ever have. roughly 11 races over 12 meetings a week. Just think of the 20 odd trotters that go through the sale now will be worth something and be worthwhile to breed I know a few breeders that gave up and sold the lot to get out of trotters as there was no future in breeding for sales lower prize money less races and no same sex racing is that good or what I have few horses and would now be thinking of a few more trotting mares to race and breed. Menangle is going to take a few horses away from every states once the money goes' up it will leave a void of top notch everywhere.

In terms of prizemoney Nat and the battle it is to grow such, I think $3million is a very large amount. As I said these are the trade offs that will have to be pondered by the powers that be. It would be a gamble to change the distribution of $$, however I acknowledge that you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette and the investment in trotters does have potential to grow the industry if strategically marketed.

PS Nat,

Who's the best 2YO trotter you've seen in Australia in recent years?

Hi Termite

There has been a few handy types in recent years as 2ylds Danny Bouchea, Skyvalley, Danny Cash, Magic Interest, Lord of the Gym, Jauriol but Down Under Muscles would be my pick right from the start every time he stepped out onto the track you know you might see something special and so unlucky too. Even now he's in the top 4-5 trotter in the southern hemisphere and the most dangerous of them all with his sprint.