Luke White

💬 Should VIC jockeys be paid for jumpouts? Fair pay for services is a principle most can agree on. But the real debate on this topic isn’t about that; it’s about the cost and how it burdens owners. This points to a deeper strategic issue in racing: 🏇 Income distribution. Racing administrators love to highlight skyrocketing prizemoney as a win for owners. However, when you examine the full picture, it's a smokescreen.🤔 A study I did in 2023 of NSW & VIC between 2016-2022 found: ➡️ Approx $212m more prizemoney distributed. ➡️ Approx 200 fewer horses (17.8k total.) ➡️ But… 50% of horses earned just $0–$4.2k more. ➡️ Only 10% earned $16.5k+ more. ➡️The prizemoney boom has disproportionately benefited the top 2% of the horse population who earned $59k+ more. Meanwhile, costs have soared in the last decade: 📈 Approx $20k/year increase in training fees 📈 At least + $30k increase in the average yearling price. Who has benefited most from the prizemoney boom? ✅ The top 2% of horses ✅ Trainers & jockeys, whose collective revenue jumped approx 60% in line with prizemoney growth. That's a staggering growth in the context of the real world and what other industries have experienced. It's well deserved; there is no issue there, and in the case of Trainers, they've had to cope with many increased costs, workers comp insurance, etc., which is hard to pass on to owners fully. However, when you run the numbers on the income side of the equation, a significant number are far better off, not just the higher profile players. Approximately 90% of owners are worse off when factoring in rising costs. If the PRAs are serious about helping owners and the sustainable future of racing, there must be a more thoughtful strategy. 💡 Instead of being obsessed with perpetual prizemoney increases that only benefit the minority and are just as much about marketing, a significant portion of that funding should be invested into: ✔️ Cost-reducing subsidies ✔️ Owner rebates ✔️ Industry-funded services Racing NSW reports an extra $36m in prizemoney was paid in 2023/24 compared to the season before. It also states: “Ownership of horses is expensive and there is still a significant disparity between total prize money paid and the total costs of ownership and it is important that Racing NSW continues in its efforts to defray these costs as much as possible.” Prizemoney increases are one side of the equation and are proven to end up disproportionately allocated. Imagine the benefit to all owners if $25m of that $36m was put into rebates and cost-reducing subsidies. That's what makes ownership more affordable and sustainable across the industry. 🚨Real reform means tackling costs, not just pumping up prizemoney.

Maori Chief $2.30 odd R1 Canterbury tomorrow. Horse that finished alongside him there at Newcastle and a better run is the same price R2 Newcastle Thursday. McDonald factor? I know which I’d prefer to back.

N B L 2 4 C H A M P I O N S. 🏆

JACK MCVEIGH. INCREDIBLE.