More at stake for industry
STAKES increases for all three codes will roll out this week to finally put Tasmanian racing on a par with its Victorian country counterparts.
Tasracing finalised its funding allocations late last week after consultation with industry groups and Racing Minister Jane Howlett announced that total funding would increase by $2.26m or 8 per cent.
Jockeys and harness drivers also will benefit from increases with jockeys riding fees up 6 per cent and harness driving fees to rise by 18 per cent. Thoroughbred increases start from Wednesday night’s meeting in Launceston with maidens to benchmark 70 races rising from $20,000 to $21,000 and age maidens jump from $20,500 to $22,000.
Class three and all other benchmark events are up from $20,500 to $23,000 and open handicaps will now be worth $25,000, an increase of $4000.
Some feature races also incurred stake hikes with the state’s most coveted sprint, the Newmarket Handicap, increased from $100,000 to $125,000 and the 3YO Classic, run on Launceston Cup Day, to rise from $50,000 to $75,000. The weight-for-age Summer Cup, a traditional lead-up to the Hobart Cup, will rise from $30,000 to $50,000 and the St Leger also jumps from $30,000 to $50,000.
Prizemoney for all thoroughbred races will be paid down to sixth place whereas previously it has been paid to fifth.
Harness increases also are substantial with the base stake for restricted class events to rise to $9000 from $8750 with free-for-alls to jump 13.1 per cent from $8750 to $9900 that finally removes the anomaly that saw the best horses racing for the same amount as maidens.
The greyhound allocation will rise by 7.7 per cent with top grade winners (grades 1-3 and invitation) to collect $2285 while a maiden winner will now receive $1805.
Stakes for the heats of the code’s three Group races (Devonport Chase, Launceston Cup and Hobart Thousand) will receive an additional $2000 per heat and all graded events, and feature events linked to graded races, will increase by $150 per race.
THE first night meeting of the season in Launceston on Wednesday suggests trainers and owners have been hanging out to get their horses back on to turf. Almost 180 horses were nominated for the eight-race card, with 68 entered for the two maidens and 28 for the class one handicap. There were 13 trials at Longford on Tuesday, which is another indication a return to turf is long overdue.
The Launceston track
underwent a maintenance program in its four-month respite and the Elwick track in Hobart has also been given a reprieve from racing in an endeavour to allow the relatively new circuit to recover and allow remedial work to be completed uninterrupted.
Devonport’s synthetic track has been a game changer, but the length of its winter season is starting to be questioned by industry participants and that matter is likely to be raised at the next Thoroughbred Advisory Network meeting.