The Harness Horse Supply Chain
Not sure if the Panel engaged an analyst to look at the actual facts behind the Australian breeding and racing industry. In 2008 the NZ Racing Board commissioned supply chain reports for both the thoroughbred and harness industries/sport. The harness report was not published widely (I'll try to get it up on the NZSBA website over the weekend www.harnessracing.co.nz). Folks may be interested in the key figures from the analysis:
In all cases the numbers are for the 11 year period 1995 to 2006.
Across that period fillies:
- 51% of foals
- 50% to 52% of the available NZ horse pool after yearling exports
- 48% to 49% of the horses registered
- 43% to 45% of individual starters
- 39% to 44% of the total number of starters in each year.
(The percentages are the lows and highs which generally increased moving towards 2006)
Within the available pool 37% of ALL horses were never registered with a trainer and of those:
- 57% were fillies; and
- of that 57%, a quarter were subsequently bred at stud.
Of the horses that were registered with a trainer 9.5% never trialled or raced and of these 56% were fillies. In this sample one third of them went to stud.
Assuming that fillies and colts are equally prone to injury, the conclusion must be that owners in NZ quit fillies early, most probably because of a perceived lack of opportunity. What are the facts:
- fillies with trainers and which race = 45%
- fillies make up 46% of trial fields
- fillies win 42% of trials
- fillies make up only 39% of the races won and 40% of the race placings
In NZ just over 50 percent of the horses raced have the breeder as an owner in some capacity.
Finally only 46% of the total available pool of horses raced in at least one race. For NZ thoroughbreds the figure is 50%.
Two conclusions from this study are:
1. the pool of racing horses can be expanded by more races for fillies and mares; they will then increase the number of times they race per season and race for longer, changing owner/breeder and trainer perceptions on this may be the biggest challenge if more races are carded ; and
2. a decline in the number of colts and geldings racing in NZ will have a greater impact in the short term than a decline in the number of fillies racing. In the absence of increasing opportunities for F&M in NZ this is a real risk given the number of exports.
John Mooney