Removal Of "Top Ups" For Community Clubs.Harness & Greyhounds

JayJay

Interesting comparison between Bunbury last night and Central Wheatbelt today.

Bunbury 7 races last Night. Total stakes paid $81,600. Total Tabtouch  cumulative win pools $21,747.

Central Wheatbelt 7 races today. Total Stakes paid (by RWWA without Club funded top up of $7314) $43,680.  Total Tabtouch cumulative win pools $23,550.

Savings to RWWA from not paying the "top up" which would have applied to race 5 (Merredin Cup) was $8,000 - $6,240 = $1,760

According to the RWWA's  reply to an Industry Body that protested the decision to implement the cut, top ups to community clubs were "not supported by a strategy (attracting the states leading trainer would appear to be a strategy to me), top ups were not supported by "wagering outcomes" (and Bunbury was????) and as RWWA is currently running "deficit budgets", it was a cost saving exercise. 

Can we assume cost saving exercises don't apply to Bunbury but only to community clubs?

But yes, it saved money, a massive $1760 today, about the cost of a return airfare to the Broome Cup. We can as an industry afford to splash $35,000 on The Battle of Bunbury (it was $25,000 a few years ago when Lavra Joe won it, more than enough may I suggest) but can't afford $1760 to boost the Merredin Cup.  

The club deserves a medal for what it is doing for the Industry but it is not a sustainable strategy at over $7k per meeting.

warrenrobinson

Through self interest harness racing is beyond salvation.