Chief Stipe

Really? She's coming back from a serious injury. Still has the support of all the major trainers and stables. Is fourth on the Victorian Metro premiership and is close to $4m in stakes and only 5 months into the year. I'm not infatuated with her but recognise she is still a very talented jockey and you are an amateur tall poppy slayer.

I see one of those favourites was the 2yr old Parkour. A Godolphin horse likely heading to the Magic Millions. @Newmarket you'd better get on the phone to the Sheik as Kah is booked to ride it.

Did you watch those races? Kah rode them perfectly and gave them every chance. They weren't good enough. I suppose you didn't see the race yesterday at Randwick where she rode a 9yr old outsider and nearly got it up to win. Well who would have thought after considering your comments that top trainers would still give her rides on favourites. Let alone get her to travel out of her home State to ride them.

Kah two wins at Randwick today. Her ride in the last was a gem. Seems to still have it.

It's hard to attract horses when there aren't enough.

Racing Victoria to help trainers with $3m fund generic horse racing picture victoria By Gilbert Gardiner 08:33am • 22 December 2023 1 Comments Racing Victoria is set to invest more than $3m – one per cent of prizemoney – into stable wellbeing initiatives, including a 30 per cent subsidy for two years to help trainers cover soaring WorkCover premiums. The racing regulator will make the announcement on Friday in conjunction with the Australian Trainers' Association. A service for trainers to manage workplace claims and get injured workers healthy and back to work is among the initiatives, along with enhanced safe and respectful workplace education. Emergency support funding for stable staff involved in a serious racing-related incident and the renewal of Stableline, an independent 24-7 counselling service for workers in need, shall also be covered. • In-form Celine Gaudray has city milestone in her sights The investment builds on the recommendations of the Racing Integrity Commissioner's Review into Victim Support and Complaint Processes, published last September. RV chief executive Andrew Jones welcomed the changes. "All three initiatives are critical to the sustainability of our industry," Jones said. "We thank the ATA for its collaboration and trust these changes will be supported by all Victorian owners and participants." A one per cent prizemoney contribution, to support trainers and their staff, from February 1 will mirror the current take outs for equine (two per cent) and jockey (one per cent) welfare programs. • Million-dollar fallout: Oliver deeply hurt over alleged betrayal RV has boosted prizemoney, excluding club contributions, by $75m – 38 per cent – since 2018. The WorkCover subsidy, backdated to July 1, will be removed after two years, with the remaining 0.5 per cent contribution going to trainer and worker welfare. It is hoped by 2026 the streamlined workplace claims processes and improved safety around stables and training centres should naturally help to reduce premiums. • ‘She should've won': Filly's ability a Rhetorical question ATA President Robbie Griffiths said significant challenges arise every day in working stables. "This support – combining financial, workplace injury, and health and safety consulting services and education – will certainly help stables better manage many of their challenges," Griffiths said. "It is a tangible commitment by Racing Victoria for the long-term benefit of all Victorian trainers and their staff, and one that I am sure will be roundly applauded." Racing Queensland recently implemented a similar 30 per cent subsidy to help trainers in the Sunshine State.

Horse Welfare (two per cent) Jockey Welfare (one per cent) Stable Welfare Contribution (one per cent) - don't most industry employers fund this type of programme out of their own profits? Total 4% from Owners Stakes. (On top of the Trainers and Jockey's percentages). Sorry I was out by 1%.

He needs to be sacked': Munz attacks Jones At loggerheads … Thoroughbred Racing Owners’ Association boss Jonathan Munz (left) and Racing Victoria chief executive Andrew Jones. By Gilbert Gardiner 08:27am • 29 December 2023 15 Comments Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association chairman Jonathan Munz wants Racing Victoria chief executive Andrew Jones sacked for doing a "terrible job". Munz, a prominent racehorse owner and breeder, whose stable includes The Everest and multiple Group 1 winner Giga Kick, said the RV board "needs a major refresh too". Munz launched the scathing attack on Wednesday in reply to a prizemoney levy RV has introduced to fund stable wellbeing programs. "In my opinion, apart from these (levy) issues, Andrew Jones, the CEO of RVL is doing a terrible job and needs to be sacked," Munz said. • ‘The first couple of years were very tough': Weir's exile revealed "There is widespread dissatisfaction across the whole industry with the performance of RVL. "Jones is regarded as arrogant, out of touch and lacking racing knowledge and experience. "He and his team are considered to be completely out of their depth and apart from fundamental management errors, are seen as pushing a misconceived radical strategy that has alarmed industry investors and participants. "Undermining confidence, disparaging our participants and race clubs and putting off our existing customers is not sensible and needs to be stopped. "The RVL board needs a major refresh too, with the majority of directors needing to be replaced. "They have enabled and encouraged this situation and if anything, are seen as more culpable, given that they appointed and have failed to manage and control Jones and failed to respond to concerns about the damage being done to the industry." • ‘One more to go': Apprentice Hefel eyes significant milestone The appointment of a new RV board member and chairman is expected in the New Year with short-listed candidates set to be interviewed for the position vacated by former chairman Brian Kruger. When contacted by this masthead after TROA's statement, Jones referred commentary to interim chairman Mike Hirst. "There is nothing new in Mr Munz's comments," Hirst said. "He continues to misunderstand that there is one pool of funds and all expenses are paid from that pool." RV last Friday announced a one per cent levy, worth about $3m, to help trainers manage WorkCover claims and soaring premiums. Munz has urged RV to fund the $3m workplace safety initiatives and insurance premium relief package through its own cost savings and not at the owners' expense. • Christmas gift: Neurosurgeon clears jockey for return Prizemoney deductions currently include horse welfare (two per cent) and jockey welfare (one per cent). The new stable welfare contribution (one per cent) is set to start from February 1. "TROA wants to support trainers in these areas, but the money needs to come from RVL's general budget and not taken out of the pockets of owners," Munz said. "This reflects lazy and incompetent management from RVL. "There is supposedly at least $10 million of spending wastage that can be saved in the existing RVL general budget and another $10 million of cost savings available from inefficiencies in the integrated media business, which includes Racing.com. Start there please. "RVL is already taking a two per cent levy from prizemoney for horse welfare and a one per cent levy for jockey welfare. "We have previously asked for detail and transparency on the $6m being taken for horse welfare and RVL has refused to provide any detail. I find that outrageous." Hirst defended the Workcover subsidy, which will be removed after two years, by which time it is hoped streamlined workplace claims processes and improved safety measures will naturally help to reduce premiums. "At a time where trainers are doing it hard the Board has decided to temporarily reallocate some of that pool whilst also cutting RVL expenditure," he said. "The majority of reasonable owners are happy to support their trainers noting deductions from prizemoney in Victoria are in line with or less than those in other states".

Payne calls for ratings revamp www.racing.com Ballarat-based trainer Andrew Payne is concerned about the functionality of Racing Australia’s rating system in Victoria’s competitive racing environment. The experienced horseman, who hails from one of the sport’s most famous families, firmly believes the current scale is slowly but surely forcing talented horses out of the state. “We’ve got a system, where once the horse reaches its mark, it’s extremely hard to place them,” he said. “No one wants to run them to drop their rating back down, so Racing Victoria will lose these horses to Queensland, NSW, wherever they’re getting sold to.” But, having felt this way for a long time, Payne has worked to theorise practical solutions that may keep these horses around the jurisdiction. Cultivated over years of discussion and personal insight, he has presented his ideas on how the process could be adjusted to give these gallopers and connections, a better chance of succeeding in Victoria. Payne strongly advocates for a lower grade of race meet throughout the Victorian racing calendar, with lesser prizemoney equivalent to meetings in other states. He used a recent Friday night Mount Gambier meeting as an example of why this could benefit the racing landscape. “At the moment, we have $27k, $35k, $55k etcetera, and I think that’s all fine as it is,” he said. “What we need to do is match Mount Gambier, have $20-$23k meetings … we saw how many Victorian trainers went there the other week just for slightly weaker races.” Some of these were small trainers, who Payne said may be getting “fed up” by the current system in their home state, while some were slightly bigger operations from Ballarat and Warrnambool – all in search of slightly weaker races for their lower-rated gallopers. But crucially, Payne points out, there were no goliath Melbourne stables sending an armada of potential short-price favourites over, and he believes this is due to the lesser prizemoney. However, RV’s head handicapper David Hegan said finding the right balance to include such meetings is the key, especially if they required higher standard events to make way. “The biggest challenge is always, what do we take out of the programme, and what opportunities are we taking from other horses and owners?” he said. “There is a limit on how many races can be run … we currently average 9.9 starters per race and every new race we put on is another kind of race lost somewhere else. “A very important data point to remember and juggle is that we have about twice as many horses as there are races in Victoria – wins are not easy to come by when field sizes need to remain healthy.” But if there were a way to fit these meetings into the schedule, Payne believes they could fill a big void in the current programme. “You could easily run these meetings once a week or so, there’s a definite demand for them,” he said. “If the bigger stables were potentially less enticed by the lower prizemoney, it would give the little guys a better shot; the lifeblood of the racing industry.” Conversely, Payne also sees the benefits for owners, who would get another chance to see their horse win before essentially being forced to sell it – especially if there are no non-TAB/picnic meetings on at the time. “People want their horses running for premium prizemoney ($35k-$55k) first. Once they work out it’s not good enough, they go to the $27k races, no problem, but then what?” he said. “These races would provide another chance for owners to break even, and I think people are happy to break even. “And people will bet on them, too. If they didn’t bet on the Mt Gambier meetings, they wouldn’t keep running them.” Payne outlined his personal belief on what keeps owners invested in racing, and by extension, what keeps them motivated to hold onto their horses instead of selling. “From what I can understand of owners, they want two things in racing. First, the wish of having a champion, that possibly wins a stack of money for them,” he said. “Secondly, excitement. If their horse wins a $22k race, it’ll lift their spirits from a possibly mundane job … they just want to see the horse race; it’s a hobby to them. “But when they go to the races to see their horse run fifth, or six, over and over again, it’s just disheartening.” In jest, Payne dubs these potential weekly meetings “Moderate Mondays”, or “Townsville in Victoria”, clearly referencing the lower prizemoney on offer. Payne also believes there could be an inherent and advantageous link between these new prizemoney tiers and a potential reform of the abandoned class system. In his eyes, the shift from the class to the numbered ratings was done to stop horses being sold to weaker jurisdictions, as there was no way for them to go back to a more suitable grade. Payne's sketch of a class system under his proposed prizemoney structure. The chart above shows how each class could be integrated into the new prizemoney tiers, providing different opportunities for horses who may be struggling to score as things are. “I believe we got rid of the classes, because once horses reached the class 4, class 5, the top of their ability, they were sold straight away, to Townsville, Darwin, Tasmania – out of Victoria,” he said. While Hegan agrees this was a contributing factor to the shift, he also said the ratings provide programming flexibility and transparency for connections, which didn’t exist under the class system. “The ratings system was introduced, firstly, so trainers and owner could see how their horses were being handicapped and rated against the rest of the horse population … previously only the weights were published,” he said. “The natural evolution of publishing the ratings was then to progress into ratings-based programming, so horses could effectively drop back in class where many had ‘outclassed themselves’. “Particularly in country areas where, for example, a Class 4 horse was rated inferior to a Class 1 or 2 horse but couldn’t run against them.” However, Payne argues that the current system has still left many horses in limbo, stuck running midfield between grades before connections choose to cut their losses. “It’s so hard now to drop down and win races anyway … horses here are hitting Benchmark 64 or 70, then just treading water until they’re sold,” he said. “It would be nice to have higher-rated country races for these horses. At the moment pretty much the only Benchmark 70 races are midweek, Friday night or Saturday, there’s hardly any Benchmark 70s at provincial and country level.” This illustrates similarities between the rating and class system, but Payne’s argument for reforming the latter also benefits both young talented horses, as well as those running at the aforementioned lower-class meetings. A specific issue this would address is the rating of first-start winners, who Payne feels are hard done by under the current rules. “You have a nice first starter, who goes out and wins on debut; they’re pretty much forced to go to Benchmark 64 level,” he said. “They are forced to race against the seasoned horses, who have multiple wins and much more experience.” RV have contemplated a few ideas that could help increase opportunities for horses who are struggling to win, including: RACES with eligibility based on time and/or level since last win (for both country and metropolitan meetings); DISCOUNTS on weights for horses that haven’t won for a certain period; A COMBINATION of class and rating (e.g., Class 3/Benchmark 58) races; CLASS 1 races for horses with no metropolitan starts; and, MORE reverse ballot maidens/Benchmark 52s But Hegan said RV’s priorities are maximising opportunities and returns to participants, as well as healthy field sizes, which makes it tricky to keep everyone satisfied, especially those with horses at both ends of the rating scale. “Trainers with horses rated in the 50s want more BM52s and 0-58s and we have incorporated these as well as reverse ballot races to help,” he said. “But that can take away opportunities from horses rated further up the scale – it is a very fine balance.” For example, Hegan points out that Class 1s (8.9) and country Benchmark 70s (9.0) average some of the lowest runner numbers of any events on the calendar. Therefore, removing other races to schedule more of these events, let alone changing the entire system, could cause angst amongst participants. But while Payne accepts some may turn their noses up at his ideas, he stands by the fact that Victoria consistently has far more horses sold via Inglis Digital than any other state, and plenty of them are now headed to other parts of Australia to continue racing.

As I said I don't idolise anyone! Never have never will! However if you are saying that I applaud excellence when I see it just as strongly as I critique incompetence then you are correct.

Believe what you want to @Michael

Explain why it was named top 2yr old if for some other reason than it got 45 votes. Help me lose my naivety oh enlightened one.

I didn't admit any such thing. Yes there are system avatars on this site that aggregate information from other sites for the benefit of BOAY members. However @Noodlum isn't one of them. But this discussion has digressed well away from Turnpike Joe - seems to be your modus operandi when you get it wrong.

They all need some fashion tips some more than others. Are you up for the job @Rangatira ?

It is a guess. You have no more idea than anyone else. But it's clear you focus on unimportant things.

No I don't agree. The horse that ran second in the 2yr old of the year won its Grp1 because Tokyo Tycoon was disqualified. It didn't win all that much more. You could argue that 45 out of 59 voters agree with you.

It is a guess and you have no idea. But whatever little things amuse you Mr O'Brien.

Got 45 votes out of 59. Are you suggesting another system? The 3yr old and horse of the year hasn't done all that well this year either.

But that strategy has no bearing on a black type race maintaining its status. Isn't the New Zealand Cup on a slippery slope? For example? I agree. The Everest being a prime example. What's that got to do with the Pattern Grading system?

You didn't answer the question. Have no North Island Metro black type races been downgraded? I assure you I don't idolise anyone and my naivety has long gone particularly when it comes to racing.

What was it downgraded from and to what?

Call me naive if you wish but if what you suggest is true then no northern metro black type races have been downgraded in recent years. Correct?

How is it rigged? Isn't the Grading done by a clear set of rules based on horse performance?

The thing is Michael or Mike you have no idea and are only guessing.