Why Race in NSW
In reality there has never been a better time to be involved in harness racing in NSW:
- Base prizemoney per race has never been higher.
- Breeders Bonuses have increased further in FY15 whereby the $2,500 NSW Breeders Challenge Owners Bonus Certificate increases to $3,000 and the Foal Nominators Bonus applies to both 2YO’s and 3YO’s.
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There are now three separate NSW Breeders Challenge Race Series, the Major Series to cater for the best in the state, the Blue Series for 100% NSW Bred horses and the Regional Finals which exclude the best performer from the Major Series and the Blue Series.
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Through the Tabcorp Park Menangle Where Horses Fly Series there are many meetings in Regional and Country NSW carrying two races valued at $10,000.
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The Carnival of Cups has fully expanded with all Regional and Country NSW Clubs now hosting a TAB meeting with minimum base prizemoney of $6,000.
- HRNSW is leading the way with integrity, other codes and jurisdictions are considering and implementing our policies and procedures.
Why Make Changes
Backed by the Board, HRNSW Management has created a race programming system which is to commence from 1 September 2014.
The system is being introduced as Management believe that the Class System is not providing like for like racing as it is based on a record achieved over time which does not represent current form.
For example:
- A C1 is a horse that may:
- have won 1 race;
- be a 3YO that has won 5 x 2YO races and 3 x 3YO races;
- be a horse that has won 7 races and was formally a C3 that has not won in the last 20 starts.
Furthermore, while Conditioned Racing in most cases achieves like for like performers competing against one another, it is impossible to program races with a prizemoney threshold that will consistently cater for the horse population within a Region that will achieve full fields.
For Example:
For horses that have not won more than $1,000 in their last 4 starts that are assessed no better than C2.
- There may be 7 horses nominated for a meeting that fit the above conditions and therefore the Handicapping Panel have to adjust the race conditions (which frustrates stakeholders that were eligible under the original conditions) or run the race with no each way betting.
There are also not enough horses within each Region to maintain full fields in most classes.
For Example:
C1 7 nominations
C2 16 nominations
C3/C4 7 nominations
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In the above example 2 races have no each way betting and 6 horses are at home in their stables.It would be far better to utilise all 30 horses nominated by placing the three most out of form C2 horses in the C1 and the three best performed C2’s in the C3/C4, meaning all horses obtain starts and there would be three full fields, which will increase wagering turnover.
There are also very few C3 or better horses in each Region and races programmed for C4 or better horses are consistently are deleted.
This means sound and well performed horses hit their mark and are raced or sold interstate or are retired.
These horses are known to punters and increase wagering and need to be kept in NSW.
In simple terms, the current number of meetings and races cannot be sustained if horses are not competitive and viable.
Changes to the race programming model have therefore been made to:
- Make a higher percentage of horses viable, which will keep them racing and maintain their connections in the sport.
- By making horses viable it is hoped that owners will be able to further invest in other horses.
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If owners invest in other horses there will be demand for horses at yearling and ready to run sales.
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If there is demand for horses at sales then commercial breeders may breed more horses.
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If hobby owner/breeders have viable race horses then they may have money to breed more horses as opposed to leaving their mares barren.
The New Programming Matrix
To overcome the aforementioned issues and to better utilise our horse population, most meetings in NSW will contain a Divided Stakes event where the HRNSW Handicapping Panel will frame race conditions and select race fields from the nominations received (as is the case at T3 meetings).
While the Divided Stakes event may have a Class Assessment Front and may have a Class Assessment back, at most meetings Class Assessment will not be used in the original Race Programs to determine conditions.
Lifetime Wins, Average Mile Rate (Competitive Stakes), Wins by a Trainer over a period of time (Encouragement Stakes) and Wins This Season will form the basis of Race Programming.
The types of meetings, their makeup and prizemoney levels for FY15 are as below:
NSWHRC – Metropolitan (MET)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for the horses with the most ability.
NSWHRC – Career Penalty (CP)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for the state’s best emerging horses and for horses that are no longer competitive at Metropolitan Meetings.
Feature Meeting (F)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for all horses within a Region.
$6,000 Base prizemoney for all races.
Clubs are to work with the HRNSW Handicapping Panel on a race program that will cater for all abilities of horses.
Primary Meeting (P)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for average and above average ability horses within a Region.
Secondary Meeting (S)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for average and limited ability horses within a Region.
Heats Meeting (H)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for horses within a Region leading into a traditional Heat and Final Series (i.e. Canola Cup, Soldiers Saddle, Star Trek etc)
$3,000 Base prizemoney for all races
Non-TAB Meeting (NT)
To provide racing and earning opportunities for horses that are not competitive at TAB Meetings or to provide Heats leading into a Club’s Carnival of Cups Meeting.
$1,500 Base prizemoney for all races
Nominations & Acceptance Process
Race Field Selection Process
Divided Stakes – All Meetings (based on nominations received)
- The Handicapping Panel will group horses together based on their current form.
- Preference in the first instance will be given to grouping fillies and mares together in their own race.
NSWHRC Metro Meetings, NSWHRC Career Penalty and Primary Meetings
- Horses deemed to have superior current form will be grouped together and will race for the highest prizemoney threshold.
- Horses deemed to have average-above average current form will be grouped together and will race for the middle prizemoney threshold.
- Horses deemed to have below average-average current form will be grouped together and will race for the lowest prizemoney threshold.
Secondary Meetings
- Horses deemed to have below average current form will be grouped together and will race for the lowest prizemoney threshold.
- Horses deemed to have below average - average current form will be grouped together and will race for the middle prizemoney threshold.
- Horses deemed to have average-above average current form will be grouped together and will race for the highest prizemoney threshold.
- Horses deemed to have superior form will be excluded from selection.
Graducation Penalty Racing Discontinued
As can be seen, outside of Heats and Non-TAB meetings Graduation Penalty racing will be discontinued. The minimum base prizemoney level per race will increase to $4,000.
The aims of changing the minimum stake to $4,000 are to:
- Increase the minimum stakes level from $3,000 to $4,000.
- Provide opportunities for limited ability and out of form horses.
- Ensure that horses with superior form which are capable of winning Career Penalty events cannot utilize the system by nominating for Graduation Penalty races.
- Have horses progress when they win a race (but then be able to drop in class if not competitive)
- Increase the chance of winning NSW Breeders Challenge Bonuses as winners of $4,000 events are eligible.
Wagering
The Australian Wagering landscape has changed significantly with the introduction of Corporate Bookmakers and the NSW Race Fields Legislation.
It is now vitally important for NSW harness racing to remain relevant in the market place as there are so many wagering opportunities for punters in 2014.
In the most recent financial year HRNSW received $9 Million in Race Fields Legislation Funding, Racing NSW (Thoroughbred Racing) received $60 Million. That is almost 7 times more funding, whereas under the fixed percentage of NSW TAB revenue thoroughbred racing is receiving just over 4 times more funding.
With 30% of punting on NSW harness racing now being wagered with Corporate Bookmakers, it is imperative that we remain relevant.
The way to increase relevance is to increase race field size. The average race field size for NSW harness racing in FY14 was 8.7, which decreased from 8.9 in FY13.
Below is the average turnover per race based on starters per race with the NSW TAB for NSW harness racing events conducted in FY14.
|
STARTERS
|
AVE TURNOVER
|
|
3
|
$ 34,177.47
|
|
4
|
$ 26,857.60
|
|
5
|
$ 38,271.89
|
|
6
|
$ 39,871.12
|
|
7
|
$ 42,872.71
|
|
8
|
$ 47,954.35
|
|
9
|
$ 48,326.44
|
|
10
|
$ 51,863.98
|
There were 3,851 TAB races conducted during the period with only 33% of races consisting of 10 starters. If we were able to achieve 10 starters in 50% of races then turnover would increase by in excess of $2 Million annually on the NSW TAB alone.
If we can increase race fields income from $9M to $13M next Financial Year we can increase every Non Metro Club Race by $1,000.
The race programming changes are being implemented to give our industry the best possible opportunity to increase wagering income and therefore the returns to stakeholders.
Summary
There will be a base prizemoney increase of $1.2M across NSW in FY15:
|
Region
|
Increase
Year on Year
|
Increase Since
FY09
|
|
Metropolitan
|
$152,020
|
$1,752,719
|
|
Hunter
|
$343,000
|
$369,840
|
|
North West
|
$81,500
|
$331,180
|
|
Western Districts
|
$289,500
|
$1,093,480
|
|
South West & Riverina
|
$375,500
|
$1,437,460
|
|
Far West
|
$13,000
|
$52,730
|
|
Total
|
$1,204,520
|
$5,045,409
|
Due to the majority of races carrying a Career Penalty (Minimum Stakes $4,000) there will be increases in thE winners of NSW Breeders Challenge Owners Bonuses (increasing in value on 1 July from $2,500 to $3,000) and Nominators Bonuses (2YO & 3YO in FY15).
The projected increase is $800,000.
The total projected increase to stakes in FY15 is in excess of $2Million.
|
Item
|
Increase
|
|
Prizemoney
|
$1,204,520
|
|
NSW Breeders Challenge
|
$800,000
|
|
Total
|
$2,004,520
|
Analysis
HRNSW will monitor the progress of the implemented changes and will deliver another series of Road Shows in March 2015 to advise stakeholders of the results achieved and to obtain feedback concerning how stakeholders believe the system has performed.