September Breeder’s Bulletin

Breeders Bulletin

7 Sept

Written By Harness Breeders Victoria

Our latest newsletter is available now - read below or click H ERE to access the version with live links.

Breeder's Bulletin September

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From the President's Desk...

The last few weeks have been tumultuous to say the least. HRV announced $10M of cost reductions with $3.9M of prizemoney cuts. Any prizemoney cuts are distressing for the industry. HBV was consulted by HRV and we made submissions relating to the protection of mares and juvenile racing. These submissions were listened to with reductions to cuts for some races for these cohorts which are important to our members.

HRV have made the majority of the cuts to feature races (50%) with 25% each to come from metro and then country stakes. Given country races make up the vast majority of the racing, the cuts per race to rank and file racing has been minimised.

I attended a meeting with the Minister for Racing along with the other kindred bodies in mid-August. The kindred bodies voiced their concerns with where the industry was heading. The Minister stated that he wanted to meet regularly with the kindred bodies.

Despite these issues we wish members all the best with their arriving foals and hope the mares stay healthy and get in foal.

With the support of Harness Racing Victoria and sponsors, Llowalong Farms, Woodlands Stud & Alabar, HBV was able to bring breeders and potential breeders together to network, socialise and most importantly learn! With experts Dr Kath McIntosh, Dr Francesca Worsman and Dr Clarissa Brown-Douglas, over 80 guests learnt about the latest in reproductive and nutritional health. A fascinating interview was also given by Kentuckiana Farms owner-partner, Ken Jackson which you can watch below. Over a dozen businesses were able to offer one-on-one advice about products, services and importantly stallions while enjoying drinks and delicious finger food from the Shepparton Harness Racing Club, you can watch interview with each of them in a dedicated playlist on our YouTube Channel.

A big highlight of the evening was the members’ draw to win one of three stallion services:

Woodlands Stud’s AMERICAN IDEAL ($11,000) went to new member Malcolm Wells
Alabar’s VINCENT ($4,950) went to Stuart McDonald
Llowalong Farm’s PASTOR STEPHEN ($4,950) went to Darren Taylor

A thank you again to event sponsors, trade stall holders and guests who turned out to make this first event so successful. We look forward to bringing more of these events to other parts of Victoria in the future.

2023 IRT Australasian Standardbred Stallion Guide

This season's Guide, with full details of available stallions, articles on breeding, annual statistics and more, are now hitting mail boxes. Please wait until mid-month before contacting us to follow up on non-arrivals, especially in the West.

Limited copies are also available from each state's head quarters, major Victorian tracks, and from advertising studs and businesses. The interactive online edition is available HERE.

Again we thank Metro Printing for their work on this in-demand publication.

SEN Breeders Week

Yet again we had a great time on SEN Track with lots of fascinating interviews with breeders from right around the world including Jody Jamieson, Anders Malmrot, Blanche Poole & Shannon Nixon. Listen back to the whole series HERE.

Stallion Registrations Open

STUDMASTERS - HRA has now opened stallion registrations. This is not an automatic process - find out how to register your stallion for the 2023-24 season HERE. To update your roster on the HRA Stallion Index, including retired sires, be sure to email details to Larraine.

Member Group Results

Congratulations to Group 1 & top line race winning member-breeders across August:

Michael Taylor - Jewel Melody (QBred Triad 3YO Filly Final)
Yabby Dam Farms - Tradie Lady (Nutrien 3YO Trotting Filly Classic) & Valtino (Nutrien 2YO Trotting C&G Classic)
Louise Pangrazio & Malcolm Shaw - Prince of Rock (pic, Nutrien 3YO Trotting C&G Classic)
Alabar Bloodstock - Sweet Bella (Nutrien 3YO Filly Classic) & No Telling Heather (Nutrien 2YO Trotting Filly Classic)

Group wins for Louise Pangrazio & Malcolm Shaw (Shesawish)

2023 HBV Amarillen Matriarch

Congratulations to Dougal Steele, breeder and owner of YOUNGGIFTEDANDBLACK, the Betting Line mare who won our sponsored Amarillen Matriarch in 2023! Trained by Sonja Smith, she is the first foal from Art Major mare My Major Rocket who has had two foals to race and both are winners.

Pays To Be Vicbred - Make Sure Your Foal Is Made In Victoria

When it comes to breeding choices this season, keep this chart handy to make sure you're breeding Vicbred quality and making your horse eligible for all the benefits of the Vicbred program. As a breeder you keep receiving payments over the horse’s lifetime – even if you no longer own him or her. For each two-, three- or four-year-old age restricted race win in Victoria, your Vicbred-eligible horse will earn you a cheque equal to 10% of the overall stake offered on that race. You will also get 5% of prizemoney earnt by your horse in any Vicbred race down to 12^th place including the Sires Stakes series, and on any prizemoney earnt in a Breeders Crown Final. Breeders also receive 5% of the Vicbred First Win Bonus which in 2024 will be paid on the first two-, three- or four-year-old win in Victoria, with the total Bonus being $8,000 for Vicbred Basic horses, $9,000 for Vicbred Platinum and $12,000 for Vicbred Pure horses. For horses aged five or older on their first Victorian win, they will receive half the eligible amount.

If you breed to race, you get these amounts on top of your owner earnings – it really does pay to be Vicbred!

Got A Vicbred Maiden? Save The Date!

Don’t miss one of the last opportunities to take a Vicbred First Win Bonus and race for increased $10,000 stakes on our sponsored all-maiden, all-Vicbred raceday at Maryborough. Bottom-up ballots, cash and prize bonuses for connections and a great day’s racing – put December 22 in your diaries now. More to come HERE.

Breed To Succeed North American Special

Dr Kath McIntosh from Northern Rivers Equine has a chat with Ken Jackson of Kentuckiana Farm for our most recent Breed To Succeed event, produced by Paul Campbell of Campbell’s Comments.

Harness Breeders Victoria Committee Meetings

The next meeting of the HBV committee is scheduled for Tuesday 12 September 2023 and a summary of proceedings will be posted on our website shortly after. We invite members and interested parties to submit papers or correspondence for consideration by the Committee by post or email. Please refer to previously summaries on our website to ensure the issue has not previously been addressed by the Committee.

The summary of proceedings from our June meeting can be viewed HERE