October
DecemberPay, then pay again
Before owners collect any prizemoney they purchase a horse, then pay fees for pre-training and training, vets, travel, shoes and more, with the average monthly cost between $3000 and $4000.
If you collect prizemoney you then lose 10 per cent to the trainer (warranted), five per cent to the jockey (should be capped), one per cent to jockey welfare and two per cent (recently doubled) to equine welfare. That’s 18 per cent gone before your share arrives.
Not sure why we are paying for jockeys’ welfare when they get a riding fee plus a percentage of prizemoney and have (sponsored) insurance and super.
I hear constantly that the tote drives the industry, which of course is a total fallacy. The owners are the real drivers of the racing industry. No owners, no racing, no betting.
If the owner wants a bet with the TAB they have to take the unders that are dished up. Then there’s the emerging trend of the place price being 10 per cent of the win price, with 4-5 runners at odds-on for the drum. The owner pays again and again and again.
Essendon