Racing costs are not coming down

10 February 2012 - 04:36 By Mike Moon
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Mike Moon.
Mike Moon.
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In an effort to persuade a racehorse to run faster, we upgraded his accommodation - giving him a posh new stable, with attached paddock and a lovely view of the Suikerbosrand.

He did speed up, but not enough to win a race.

Now he's been sent to the seaside. Maybe salt air and a holiday vibe will do the trick and help three long-suffering co-owners recoup some of our upkeep money.

On his coastal race debut he was scratched for refusing to enter the starting stalls. He bucked, kicked and threw a tantrum like a kid on a beach overdosed with ice cream and sunburn.

Amazingly, we still harbour the fanciful idea this ingrate will "come good".

Racehorse owners are unhinged. And long may they continue to be so, for their mental disorder keeps racing alive.

I joke about madness, obviously. Owners are incredibly sane, with a heart-warming love of sport and animals.

Whether rich or of moderate means, owners cannot expect a cash return on investment. Racing is too unpredictable. It is the "process" that is engaging: the glamour, the thrills, the fleeting glory moments. It's a hobby and an entertainment, for which one pays.

Naturally, owners secretly dream they'll find a "special" horse to fulfil fantasy and deliver big bucks. And it's a dream more likely to come true than the Lotto one.

The ownership proposition requires acceptance of a balance between money spent, potential return and actual return. It's an individual decision.

Whether it's furniture magnate Markus Jooste and his hundreds of horses, or a middle-income family with its one nag, all parts of the spectrum get a kick out of what they do with their disposable income.

But when balance is lost, and costs become irrationally high, danger lights flash - as right now.

Some trainers have hiked fees to about R7000 per horse per month. With extras for vets and farriers, you're in for R10000.

"Budget" trainers struggle to keep within the R3500 to R5000 range due to soaring costs of rent, feed, salaries and so on.

It was once said that a horse winning a maiden race and its R30000 prize would cover expenses for a year. Not today, José.

The economic climate precludes increases in stakes, so it is the cost side that needs attention.

Smaller owners, in particular, are feeling the pinch - and they are essential to the game's future.

From small owners come big owners - and the black owners the industry desperately needs.

A suggestion: give owners a bigger slice of the betting off-take.

This could be in the form of subsidised veterinary care, free inoculations, more transport assistance and even appearance money.

This isn't welfarism, but rather a share dividend.

Owners take big financial risks to provide the industry's raw material.

It's a subject too complex to be dealt with fully in this spot, but we can dip into it occasionally.

Meantime, I'll be talking to a horse about shining up his act.

VAAL, TOMORROW: PA - 1,2,10 x 5,13 x 8,9,13 x 4,6 x 2 x 1,5 x 5 (R72)

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