Trainer SubsidyHarness & Greyhounds

JayJay

Thoroughbred (gallops) trainers recently received
an email concerning updates (increases) to the Trainer Subsidy that they receive for EACH
starter at a race meeting. There was particular emphasis in the increase in the rate for meetings held on Sundays, call it a form of overtime penalty rate. 

Excellent news indeed. For Sundays and Public Holidays, the subsidy will now be $290 per starter. The is a scale of subsidy payment for other meetings depending on metro or regional with Saturday Metro starters receiving $190 per starter down to $140 per starter for provincials.

As I understand it, this subsidy is paid to gallops trainers for just taking
their horse to the races, regardless of where it finishes, so long as
the trainers percentage for placing 1st to 5th doesn't exceed the
subsidy. A minimum guaranteed payment to the trainer for his labour and time.

No such subsidy is paid to Harness
Trainers, zero, zilch. Greyhound trainers also receive a starter subsidy
(I think it is around $50 per dog but stand corrected if wrong).

This is
blatant and pointed discrimination against the Harness Industry. If a
harness trainer takes for example, 3 horses to a Sunday meeting at
Kellerberrin, all he is entitled to is 7.5% of the stake earned in
finishing 1st to 5th. Should all 3 of his runners finish 6th or worse,
the trainer receives nothing, not a cent. 

There
is a $150 unplaced subsidy paid to the owner but the trainer gets
nothing. So, a potentially 10 hour working day (from loading the horses
onto the float at, for example Serpentine in my trainers case, a 3 hour
trip to a daylight Kellerberrin meeting, arriving 1 hour before the race. potentially 3 to 4
hours on course depending upon what race the horses are in  etc, and then the 3
hour return trip, unload, feed up etc) goes completely unrewarded.
Basically, working for nothing.

A galloping
trainer taking 3 horses on a Sunday or a Public Holiday to a Country meeting is guaranteed a
minimum of 3 x $290 for his working day. This unjust situation is simply wrong and
highlights yet another example of how harness and it's participants are
treated so poorly. To add insult to injury, with gallops stakes up to 4 times higher than harness, the trainers percentage at the gallops dwarfs those paid to harness trainers.

Why someone hasn't taken
this to a Fair Work Commission hearing,or wherever, is beyond me.
Discrimination based on RWWA's perception of worthiness? It is rubbish and should be rectified immediately.

Moonraker

out of interest - do gallops owners receive an unplaced subsidy?

JayJay

Moonraker said:

out of interest - do gallops owners receive an unplaced subsidy?

Yes, to varying degrees depending on metro/provincial race meeting.

JayJay

Some astonishing responses circulating to overcome this problem, most of them barely believable and none of them involving RWWA rectifying this glaring discrimination against Harness Trainers.

Nothing from anyone in an official capacity of course, just allegedly influential movers and shakers coming up with absurd solutions that protect their already privileged positioning within the Industry.

The old adage of always backing self interest has never been truer.

PictureSon1973

Thanks for enlightening us Jay Jay.
Stating the obvious but how could the Trotting Trainers Association if there is one
or BOTRA not pick this up as I would deem illegal considering the other 2
Codes are paid Trainers Subsidy Fees.& Harness Trainers are descriminated against.
The Harness Trainers Body should make this an Issue of the highest order notifying
all various media of this unjust action.
Take RWWA to the commission asking for Back Dated Pay from when the other Codes started receiving Payment with interest incurred as well as compensation for financial pressures caused by loss of potential income of a highly descriminative incentive.
Something needs to be done about this by the Trainers otherwise it is another nail in the coffin
for Professional Harness Trainers.

JayJay

The issue has been raised by BOTRA in the past with RWWA but with no effect. It was NOT supported at the time by others persons purported to represent the Industry participants.

As recently as last Tuesday, the situation has been raised and presented in detail at Ministerial level with Reece Whitby. He has been provided with the full background and there has been discussions today with his Ministerial Staff about bringing the issue to a satisfactory resolution.

There have been other interesting developments in Question Time today (Legislative Assemby) concerning the future of Country Harness Clubs and Meeting allocations after an extensive 35 page submission was presented by WACHRA (WA Country Harness Racing Association) to the Minister last week. I will post the links etc in a separate thread but suffice to say that Minister Whitby, Shadow Minister Peter Rundle and WACHRA are all on the same page with respect to any proposal to further "rationalise" Country Racing and subsequently reduce the shrinking footprint even further.