October
JulyFunny money
The writer of your leading sires summary (8/7) makes an excellent point.
The Everest will have a totally disproportionate impact on the outcome of the Australian sires premiership if its entire $10 million purse is counted (which no doubt it will be).
Snitzel is poised to win this year’s premiership with total progeny earnings for the season of just over $15 million.
Previously no stallion has reached $13 million.
The sire of The Everest winner will find $7 million-odd jumping in. Unless the race is won by an overseas raider whose sire has never stood here, it would be astounding if that stallion did not go on to win the title.
Fair enough, you might say, it’s a $10 million race.
But is it? Only $2.8 million of the purse is coming from traditional sources (club, sponsors and/or Principal Racing Authority).
The rest is essentially a side bet among the connections and their backers.
Unless the slot holder is also the owner of the horse (possible in the case of Coolmore and Caravaggio), it seems to me that a large chunk of the “prizemoney” will go to entities other than the horse’s owners.
Why, therefore, should the entire amount count towards the sires premiership, which is intended as a guide to which stallions can return the most money to their progeny’s connections?
Cremorne