Queensland trainers have put up a united front, refusing to nominate horses for Doomben ahead of a proposed strike.
The alliance representing trainers, jockeys, owners and breeders is protesting the state government decision not to allocate any money from the Point Of Consumption tax distribution to increased prize money.
The alliance plans to strike on Saturday, Cox Plate day, and again on Melbourne Cup day, November 6, saying Queensland is being left behind while NSW and Victoria surge ahead.
The sole nomination for Saturday’s Doomben meeting is from NSW trainer Jarrod Austin.
Leading trainers Steve O’Dea and Toby Edmonds have entered horses for Friday night’s Canterbury meeting while Robert Heathcote and Chris Munce have nominated horses at Randwick on Saturday.
The alliance renewed the strike threat last week after an unsuccessful meeting with treasurer Jackie Trad and Racing Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.
“Prize money is our wages. Ten years ago our people were receiving 75 per cent of what NSW racing delivered in prize money and now Queensland sits at 45 per cent and as all the other states embrace this new betting tax, this gap will only widen further,” it said in a statement.
“While this industrial action is certainly not the industry participants’ preferred response, the government’s lack of understanding of the importance of the current situation in Queensland, leaves us with no alternative.”
Racing NSW and Aquis Farm have joined to announce a minimum payment of $1000 for all starters not finishing in the first 10 at Canterbury on Friday and Randwick on Saturday to assist Queensland trainers.
Racing NSW says the initiative also applies to NSW-trained horses.
The payments are in addition to the Australian Turf Club’s $500 travel rebates for country and interstate trainers who have at least one horse racing on Friday night and another in Sydney the following day.
