The ASBP Report: How can they be serious? Bad news for harness owners

[triplev123]

Just one point which I don't accept and have never accepted.
IMO there's long been a big-time furphy doing the rounds here that the Australian foal crop is not big enough, that we're not producing enough horses to fill the fields.
I don't believe that this is the case. I believe we are producing more than enough foals to fill the race fields. What we have is not a lack of horses. Instead, we have a lack of Owners that are willing to shell out their hard earned in order to have a larger number of the annual foal crops trained.

This is due to a combination of factors, the main two being....
(1) prizemoney, which to a very significant degree is going to be rectified here in NSW by way of the increases that have and are set to occur...
(2) the appalling lack of genuine racing opportunities afforded 50% of the annual foal crop, the fillies & mares.

Currently, and I think the Panel's report stated that only 6% of the racing opportunities were for fillies/mares only, we have a situation where half the annual foal crop is basically being ignored...yet at the same time there are moves afoot to increase the number of foals born each year??????????

This I just can't fathom from the point of view that would it not make more sense, would it not be a far more prudent & would it not be a far more cost effective approach, to first attempt to far better utilise the many filly foals that already exist, that are already born and are very soon to be born...rather than to simply boost overall numbers only to continue the practice of virtually ignoring 50% of them???

I realise that there are aspects of the report which deal with greater racing opportunities for fillies and mares but honestly, I'm not holding my breath. If I had a $1.00 for every time I heard that idea bandied about... only to see it come up as empty as a piss-head's wallet in the early hours of Saturday morning....I'd be living in Monaco next door to Mick Doohan.

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...LET THE FILLIES AND MARES FILL THE FIELDS FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! before you go cranking out greater numbers.

[gutwagon]

Agree with your last post triplev123. If we have 8 races at a meeting 4 should be for females only. Don't think we will ever see that happen. The way things are at the moment we should only ever breed colts and hit the fillies on the head.

On the subject of improving the breed, going to a so called better stallion in no way guarentees a better foal, it will increase your chance of getting a better foal slightly. Most of the better horses around at the moment are from broodmares that are sired by 2nd and 3rd string stallions.Decreasing the amount of stallions available to breeders is not good for the breed in the long run.
If some breeders want to spend their money on a lesser known stallion then thats their bussiness. If it was up to you people horses like Popular Alm and Lylle Creek would never have been bred,
On a final note we are wasting our time arguing about this report on here, THE BOARD HAS DONE AND ALLWAYS WILL DO WHAT IT LIKES AND WE JUST HAVE TO LUMP IT !!

[eliteblood]

TripleV has hit the nail on the head. Increased racing opportunities for fillies and mares is the greatest opportunity to breathe some life back into the breeding industry. And, it doesn't require any additional money, just some intelligent and co-ordinated race programming.

[aussiebreno]

Agree with VVV.
Maybe not 4/8 races for filles. Maybe 2/8. We don't want two separate pools of races. Plus fillies and mares will generally be at stud by age 7 even with increased racing oppurtunitues.

[The Big Mile]

Mightymo you seem to run with the foxes and hunt with the hounds. Sorry to find you out, but I am going to have to, because you are talking crap here.

I disagree. I do anticipate that there will be a drop off of some sort for the cheaper horses. However, in general I see kiwi vendors getting less for their horses, as Aust buyers will say i have $X dollars to spend and will include the import fee. Kiwi sellers have no choice to accept the reduced price, as their racing system doesnt allow the horses to race there and their prizemoney is so inferior.

Again you are trivilaising things to make your panels decision try to carry water that is clearly doesn't. 'drop off of some sort for the cheaper horses'. Geee. The average horse price has been estimated by the NZ Breeders @ $18k NZ. The sport excange rate at 4.18pm Thursday 4th August is AUD$1 = NZ$1.25387 so the average price of horse leaving NZ is roughly $14,400.

An import fee of $5000 equates to 34.7% of the value of an average priced horse.

You think the Kiwi breeders are going to drop the price of their stock by 34%?

What about the ones where they are $10,000 NZ or less (about $8,000? ) The import fee of $5000 equates to 60% of the value of the horse.

You and your panel are clutching at straws if you think the end of the market where most horses come from will simply absorb costs. In fact it is downright dismal to think that you make that assumption but given the fact that your panel are quite keen to recommend funding a breeding intiative by slugging owners shows that vested interests are to the fore.

As for kiwi owners sending their horses to race here, there has been a significant increase in this. Graeme Rogerson, John Green, Brian West plus others have all sent a number of horses over in recent times. far more than a handful.

Please Mightymo. Rogerson has sent over 3. Brian west has 4 here. John Green not sure but harldy 'far more than a handful'. These numbers will go up. But if you are so concerned with money flowing out to NZ, why then do you offer up a such a low fee for the 90 day entrants to come over compared to the $5000 for permanent imports? Surely you would want to stop the instances like last year where $418,000 left for NZ on Breeders Crown day? So you want to plug the permanent arrivals (whom remain in the country and generate benefit for the domestic industry) while wave through the high end ones whom come over on hit and run missions? Seems a massive contradiction.

the Aust industry as a whole now has the opportunity to provide comment, and HRA can then decide what, if anything, they wish to implement. At least we gave it a go...

I am sure the HRA will see the benefits in some areas but hopefully will be much more aware (or at least not blinded by vested interests) to realise that the funding recommendations are not suitable nor acceptable to the industry at large and explore more appropriate and equitable means of sourcing funding.

[The Big Mile]

TripleV has hit the nail on the head. Increased racing opportunities for fillies and mares is the greatest opportunity to breathe some life back into the breeding industry. And, it doesn't require any additional money, just some intelligent and co-ordinated race programming.

Well said Eliteblood and VVV.

6.6% of races for fillies and mares shows the problem right there. In NSW things are getting better, mares M0's are standing up every week and the benefit at Menangle is that with genuinely run races, it give the mares an opportunity to put a big number next to her name. Look at a horse called Modern Classic. 3 months ago you wouldn't breed from her in a pink fit, but on Tuesday she banged out a 1.53.6 mile and voila, the temptation to breed will be massive.

[triplev123]

Increased racing opportunities for fillies and mares is the greatest opportunity to breathe some life back into the breeding industry. And, it doesn't require any additional money, just some intelligent and co-ordinated race programming.

TESTIFY BROTHER ELITEBLOOD! Amen.

[Greg Hando]

Well said Eliteblood and VVV.

6.6% of races for fillies and mares shows the problem right there. In NSW things are getting better, mares M0's are standing up every week and the benefit at Menangle is that with genuinely run races, it give the mares an opportunity to put a big number next to her name. Look at a horse called Modern Classic. 3 months ago you wouldn't breed from her in a pink fit, but on Tuesday she banged out a 1.53.6 mile and voila, the temptation to breed will be massive.

Why wouldn't you breed from Modern Classic she had run under 2.00 a long way before the other day had won 8 race's her dam has had 4 to race for 2 winner's both under 1.57 her grand dam has 2 under 2.00 incl a 1.52 horse she is also from a good solid family with strong 2yo form isn't that what people are after 2yo money races early but i might be biased perhap's you should refrain from giving examples without properly looking up the mare's.

[gutwagon]

I'm sick of people saying I wouldn't breed from this mare or that mare. Well when you own them and race them and feed them and look after them you fall in love with them, you can't put them on a dog truck. They have personalities they eat breath and shit , if we just wanted to make money we would stay away from horses, its in your blood .WE are all after the excitement and the thrill of winning and the love of the sport, it's not just about money !!

[gutwagon]

Breeders wait 11 months for a live foal with 4 good legs and another 2 years while you wean them and educate them to lead and teach them to load in the float, send them to a breaker , some don't make it that far. We do it because we love horses and racing. In my view people who buy going horses are just looking for a quick profit, they love money.I like money but I love horses and horse people more. I would much rather be around horse people than money people any day , call me an idiot if you like but that wont bother me.
80 odd % of owners are breeders so they know how I feel .