MEDIA RELEASE : 20 February 2006

OPPOSITION TO DIVERSION OF OWNERS’ PRIZE MONEY IS NATIONAL

Monday, February 20, 2006: The NSWROA’s opposition to the proposal by Racing NSW to redirect a proportion of owners’ prize money has become national. The Board of TROA (Victoria) resolved at its meeting last Wednesday that TROA “fully and unanimously supports the position taken by NSWROA” and “that this redirection would be an infringement of owners’ rights.”

Then Wayne Milner, the Chairman of the Australian Thoroughbred Owners Conference (ATROC) said on Thursday hat the move “would set a very dangerous precedent” and would be “a significant erosion of owners’ rights. A decision to divert an arbitrary amount of an owners’ prize money entitlement provides no security against further grabs, for which there is no legal basis. All state Associations should be very concerned about this move in NSW.”

He went on to say that if trainers are having difficulties in getting their bills paid, this is unlikely to be from winning owners.

“It would penalise the majority of good owners for the alleged faults of a minority,” he said.

“Should this be introduced, does it open the door for transport operators and feed merchants to approach Racing NSW to have automatic deductions from the trainers’ allocation?” Milner asked.

Milner said that there is no basis for racing authorities to concern themselves with the private business arrangements of owners and trainers and that there is no logical reason for racehorse trainers being treated any differently to any other business activity, with access to the usual means to recover unpaid accounts.

ATROC comprises the racehorse owners associations of all Australian states and territories and this support for the NSWROA in its discussions with Racing NSW on the issue is very valuable.

Contact: Rob Albon
Tel: 0404 881 857

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