ALBURY representatives support a NSW initiative to look after former racehorses, but say many in the industry already provide good animal care.
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Racing NSW announced on Tuesday the new horse welfare fund would mainly come from a deduction of 1 per cent, an estimated $2 million in the coming year, of all prizemoney paid in the state.
A dedicated team of staff, including a horse welfare veterinarian, will manage the program, which will promote the re-homing of thoroughbred horses.
In the way the world's going now, everyone's keeping an eye on what's been done all the time everywhere. It's for the good of the horses so I've got no problem with it.
- Trainer Kym Davison
Albury Racing Club chief executive John Miller said the scheme offered “good forward thinking”.
“The industry taking that stance has basically made it quite clear they’re on the front foot and wanting to make sure that these sort of issues are front and centre,” he said. “And there’s funding available to make sure it takes place.”
Miller said the new fund would add a more formal approach but significant horse welfare already occurred in racing.
“You know how much the animals themselves mean to everyone that’s involved in the sport,” he said.
Trainer Kym Davison, who has been based in Albury for 18 years, welcomed the increased welfare focus.
“In the way the world’s going now, everyone’s keeping an eye on what’s been done all the time everywhere,” he said. “It’s for the good of the horses so I’ve got no problem with it.”
Davison said many Border trainers already made sure former racing horses were looked after properly.
“I always find a home for them, there’s plenty of people looking for them,” he said. “I’ve kept them in paddocks myself and paid up for them until we’ve been able to relocate them somewhere.”
Racing NSW and the Australian Turf Club also announced increases that will lift the state’s annual prizemoney to about $204 million.
The new scale saw country TAB minimum prizemoney rising by $5000 to $20,000 a race, a change that took effect on July 1.
Miller said prizemoney levels in Albury had doubled in recent years.
“It provides incentives for people around this area to race more horses and makes it a bit more viable,” he said.
Davison said it was great to see money directed back to racing’s grassroots.
“Of course, nobody’s going to be complaining about any increases,” he said.
