TROT CHECK – STATE OF THE TROTTING NATION – VICTORIA (part 2)
By Michael Taylor
As mentioned last week, HRV has continued to lead the way with the trotters. The long awaited splitting of the juvenile gender classics has been a most significant breakthrough. This has led to 3 All Trotters Events in Victoria, with the Vicbred Trotters Finals & Great Southern Star joining the expanded 3 day Redwood Carnival as major drawcards on the Australian Feature Race Calendar. There’s not a person around that can say we haven’t come a long way! And we’ve only just begun. The long term benefits should, in time, flow on Australia wide.
It’s a pity our fellow trotting stronghold across the ditch doesn’t take a leaf out of HRV’s book. A similar approach would go a long way to arresting their breeding downtown, recently reported by John Peck. Astonishingly there is still no North Island Oaks for the trotters. It has tiptoed onto the drawing board but never materialized. If NZ is to regain the mantle of the trotting breeding capital of this region these are two areas they must address.
HRV has been rightfully applauded from both pacing & trotting quarters for the introduction of the Platinum Home Grown Classics and their astute placement on the Feature Race Calendar. For the trotters the Home Grown Series has become the much needed curtain raising showpiece for 2yo’s. It gives the 2yo’s a good amount of time to be properly educated and sets the foundation for them to continue on to the Tatlow, Vicbred Super Series, Redwood & Breeders Crown.
On the subject of education, it would be nice to see HRV increase the prizemoney of the season’s opening 2yo trot, restricted to those that have participated in the official Trialling Series. The Trialling Series is the former Education Series, without the prizemoney. A compensatory increase to the season’s opening trot to $10k would make it a semi classic. It would see even larger fields early in the season. The winner could still win another race and stay under the $10k maximum prizemoney threshold required under the rules of the Home Grown.
As pointed out last week, the trotters in Victoria have bucked the national trend of declining foal numbers that plagues the rest of Australia. The broader Harness Racing community is becoming rightfully concerned. Juvenile pacing fields are declining to the point where HRNSW CEO, John Dumesny, emailed Stakeholders on 03-07-15 seeking submissions by 31-07-15 for a review of the 2yo juvenile pacers. We’re seeing the eye of the storm reaching our shores that the experts have been warning of. It promises to rain pain on those further beyond who have not taken sufficient protection measures. The above suggested micro investment would no doubt yield growth.
Some trotting folk aren’t happy with the prizemoney discrepancy between the trotters & the pacers in the Vicbred Super Series. However, given the numbers it’s actually not unreasonable at this point. A better cause to adopt is the massive discrepancy between the two gaits in the Breeders Crown. There, unlike the Vicbred, the separating of the sexes has come at the cost of halving of the previous prizemoney seeing a $288kto $84kgulf (for 2yo’s).
Other important causes are The Victoria Trotters Derby ($75k) & Oaks ($60k). These great races have lost ground to their pacing counterparts contrary to what’s happening in the breeding sector. The Trotters Derby has marked time while the Pacing Derby & Oaks have received substantial increases to $200k & $150k respectively. The Trotters Derby surely deserves to be increased to $100k next season.
Let’s also take a moment to reflect on how well the trotting fillies are performing. The recent Victoria Trotters Oaks provides no better example. A maximum 12 horse field with a depth so strong that Group 1 winning fillies Endsino & Fiery Mountain Girl finished 9th & 11th respectively. They were split by smart filly Maximiser, a recent 2nd in the NSW Breeders Challenge Final. We’ve been blessed with no shortage of talented trotting mares over the years. A wonderful aspect of the gait& the envy of our pacing cousins. But the depth of talent we are now witnessing with juvenile trotting fillies is a revolution in their evolution. The planning & inclusion of the 3yo Need For Speed ($60k with split genders) on Great Southern Star Night has helped precipitate it. The fillies are poised to make an impact in the upcoming Redwood Classic & Trotters Derby. Given their success, the Trotters Oaks deserves an increase to $75k. HRV should be over the moon with their decision to get behind them and will hopefully give serious consideration to this suggestion. The mares have also made strides with the successful Breed For Speed ($30k) & the Bacardi Lyndy ($30k for 4 & 5yo’s). These are now important companion races of The Great Southern Star & Victoria Trotters Oaks. Sadly, the time honored Lightfoot Laurels has languished at $20k. It deserves parity with the above. Its timing in late July, with Redwood now just one weekend later, could be used to promotional advantage. The mares only Matchmaker Mile ($12k, deserves $20k) on Trotters Derby Day continues to grow in stature and is attracting a classy line up. The above suggested increases would see even more high quality mares add further glamour to the Redwood Carnival. It would also make the perfect farewell for those set to embark on their breeding careers. That has to be good for the industry.
Moving money around while staying in somewhat the same place is not limited to the Breeders Crown. As mentioned last week, The Great Southern Star has been an enormous step forward & sees Australia take its first steps onto the international trotting stage. HRV can also be applauded for its recent changed conditions. In the interests of fairness, implementing a random barrier draw for the Final was the right thing to do. But like the Breeders Crown ,The Great Southern Star has also come at a cost. As I look back over our Feature Race Calendar I notice a number of races have suffered pay cuts. Here’s a list to sober our enthusiasm a little:
- The Bill Collins Mile had increased to $60k, back to $50k.
- The Australasian Trotting Championship from $150k early this century, demoted to $50k.
- The Dullard Cup from $100k early this century, back to $50k.
- The Grand Prix briefly rose to $125k, back to $100k.
- The Ballarat Cup $30k down to $25k.
- The Kilmore Cup $20k down to $16k.
- The Central Victorian Trotters Championship, the greatest of all races for our emerging talent cut from $30k to $20k over the last 2 years.
- The Maori Legend (for 2yo’s) $10k down to $6k
Some criticism has been that these cuts, assumedly to help fund The Great Southern Star and other new initiatives, have been influenced too much by the ‘big end of town’. There may be a touch of truth to it. However, if so, The Great Southern Star having brought us the eyes of Europe and a new revenue stream has surely been worth some sacrifices. At least the Australasian Trotting Championship has found its rightful place as an annual event rather than a fill in for when Australia didn’t host the Inter Dominion. But it deserves to be a $100k event. This race & the Grand Prix would make perfect companion races for the Victoria & Hunter Cups over the newly vamped Harness Racing Summer Carnival.
Not all have been ‘losers’. Those that have increased include:
- The Knight Pistol from $20k to $50k taking its place as an important lead up race to the Great Southern Star.
- The Maori Mile set to increase from $30k to $50k next season as another Great Southern Star lead up race.
- The Winter Cup from $20k to $30k over the last 2 years.
Most other feature races have stayed the same, though we await the official confirmation of next season’s Feature Race Calendar which has been delayed due to the disagreement between HRV & HRNSW over the new placement of the Miracle Mile which is, for now, thankfully resolved. Let’s hope, when announced, we see HRV include some of the above suggestions.
I’ll be resuming my State of Nation Series in 2 weeks’ time where I’ll review the other states.
Unfortunately the picture won’t be as pretty.
Check in on Trot Check next week where I’ll be changing gait. By special request I’ll be writing a Breeder’s Guide on the pros & cons of whether or not to nominate their rising yearlings for the APG. The 31 July nomination deadline is fast approaching.
Michael Taylor
Australian Sales & Booking Co-ordinator for Nevele R Stud
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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