Originally Posted by
arlington
Hypotheticals are great for debate but would the owner breeders be caring about the sale hypothetical? I say well done them. It's a bit of an insult to price the horse, disregards the breeder's persistence and likelihood one or two of the progeny/breed could have shown promise at home but never made it to the track.
APG is nearly all encompassing as it is now, let's not suggest any successful home bred should have gone through the ring.
Off on a tangent but we really should be considering a non sales based futurity series. Non sales bred are still the majority? We're democratic aren't we? It's getting that way, from the marketing, if you don't buy an APG horse you may as well not be in the game.
Non sales futurity, yes, that means sales horses aren't eligible. Doesn't mean a going horse like Major Roll couldn't change hands. How would it hurt the industry if there was more incentive for non commercial breeders? Shouldn't be forgotten that selling at the yearling sales does off load your risk early.
In Vic, the Home Grown Series could be used. Am still in a quandary as to the reason why the maximum stake earned for eligibility was raised from 6k to 10k. It's programming on the calendar is in early May. Originally that was purely due to the Government funding having to be used in that financial year ending June. I should also point out it was introduced for youngsters unlikely to reach the lofty heights of the Sires Super Series or Breeders Crown so running it in May is very questionable. Interesting that a more realistic slot, July, has now been taken by APG, hmmm. So you have these quality APG youngsters eligible for everything, including the Home Grown, with their own round of $50,000 championship (consolation?) races in July, which of course non sales horses aren't eligible for.
I'm not bashing APG but when you think about the ownership of APG you wonder if it takes over administrator's thoughts and not hard to wonder who influences the administrators.
No doubt the Home Grown having Group status would prickle commercial breeders if their lots weren't eligible (I suspect this has already influenced) but how about this, don't apply for it to have Group status. Or run two $25,000 series instead of $50,000. Does black type matter that much to non commercial breeders? I think, with what little voice they have, they're yelling "show me the money".
Good luck to the non APG horses in the Hunger Cup tonight and good luck to all the vendors and buyers on Sunday and good luck to all the breeders who intend to race the foals they'll be looking at tomorrow morning and dreaming.
A bit about the writer, have bought and bred to race.
