An update from the President

In October of this year, the Victorian Harness Racing Kindred Bodies conducted Harness Racing Industry Forums at six venues across the State of Victoria. The forums were well attended, with 500 participants and stakeholders attending and contributing to the discussions held at Cranbourne, Shepparton, Ballarat, Terang, Bendigo, and Mildura.

Following on from the Industry Forums, the Presidents of the Kindred Bodies met with new HRV Chairman Bernard Saundry in November. We received a good hearing from Bernard and left the meeting confident that Bernard would bring open and transparent leadership to HRV and was looking to work closer and more collaboratively with industry stakeholders.

The Kindred Bodies conveyed to Bernard that there is considerable concern within the Victorian Harness Racing Industry about our future. Reductions in stakemoney and Vicbred Bonuses, together with increased costs, have led many participants and stakeholders to question their viability and future in the sport. Based on clear feedback expressed by stakeholders and participants at the Industry Forums, the Kindred Bodies provided the following recommendations to the new Chairman of Harness Racing Victoria:

1. That Vicbred First Win Bonuses should be reinstated or largely reinstated and funded by further reductions in feature race stakemoney. HRV has recently announced an increase in Vicbred Bonuses from what had previously been announced in October. Whilst the increase In acceptance fees was higher than we would have liked, the Kindred Bodies are of the view that the partial reinstatement of Bonuses is positive and a step in the right direction.

2. That Victoria adopt concessions for 2yo’s and 3yo’s as part of the National Ratings System, similar to what is used in other States. The overwhelming view throughout the industry, as heard loud and clear at the Forums, is that the National Rating System is too harsh on 2yos and 3yos. This, in turn, disincentivizes breeding and the purchase of young stock at the yearling sales.

3. That HRV withdraw its support for Harness Racing Australia’s Stallion Levy and refuse to be part of any such scheme. There was not one person at any of the Forums who was supportive of the Stallion Levy, with a clear, unanimous view asking why Victorian breeders should have to pay more to breed their mares to a stallion of their choice to fund the world’s richest harness race in NSW.

4. That HRV review programming and racing policies and do what is reasonably necessary to ensure field sizes in Victoria are maximized. There is a clear understanding from stakeholders within the industry of the need to maximize turnover and the link between field size and turnover. We currently have too many small fields, which impact turnover and, in turn, our ability to fund stakemoney.

5. That Mildura meetings in summer be conducted at night instead of day. The harness racing community in the northern part of the State expressed significant concern at the Forums with the number of day meetings allocated to Mildura in the summer period. We note that HRV has recently issued a number of calendar amendments, with several day meetings replaced by night fixtures at Mildura in the Summer months.

6. Restore the number of meetings in the Western Region of the State. As part of the new HRV Calendar for 2024/25, there has been a significant reduction in meetings at venues in the west of the State (Terang, Hamilton, Horsham, Ararat, and Stawell). This is causing significant angst amongst western-based participants and forcing them to travel further – something that the new calendar was hoping to reduce, not increase.

7. Fill the vacant positions on the HRV Board. For the past two years, there has been at least one and often two vacant positions on the HRV Board. There is frustration within the industry that, in such challenging times and with the previous Board seemingly lost and devoid of answers, there are skillful, capable, and knowledgeable people from within the industry who could make a difference on the Board of HRV.

Additional Key Points Highlighted to Bernard Saundry

• It is critical and the Industry rightfully expects that HRV will deliver administration and operating efficiencies for the benefit of the wider industry.

• It is essential that Harness Racing Victoria have a future fund, and that part of the vacant land at Melton needs to be retained by the harness industry for this intended purpose.

• Leadership at HRV needs to be more visible and communication enhanced with the wider industry.

The Chairman committed to meeting with the Presidents of the Kindred Bodies in the New Year to provide an update on developments. The Kindred Bodies will continue to advocate on behalf of harness racing participants and stakeholders in Victoria and will keep our valued members and stakeholders informed.

We encourage all members of HBV and Breeders of Victoria to attend these Roadshows and voice your opinion on all these matters.