John Lehmann’s misdirected article attacking Racing Minister Troy Grant for suggesting that some of the money gained by the industry, if tax parity is granted, should be put toward infrastructure shows that he is perhaps the one who needs his “guide for dummies”. That someone with so little grasp of realities in the currently crumbling NSW Racing Industry could comment “beggars belief”. The first step toward recovery for the Victorian industry was real expenditure on racecourses and training facilities across the state. Broken down racehorses do not earn any prize money and are the biggest expense incurred by owners. Cutting costs to all owners – not just the ones who are lucky enough to earn prize money was the next step. This is not news to Racing NSW. It was documented in their 2010 Strategic Report where $70 million was supposed to be spent on “Country Centres of Excellence”. Five years and no infrastructure spending later the gutting of the Industry in the country is continuing to shrink the number of participants able to survive. If you are unable to train the horses the level of prize money is immaterial. Congratulations for Troy Grant’s attempt to reign in Racing NSW which as an autonomous body does as it pleases in the interests of a small minority to the detriment of the industry at large. It is not rocket science – speak to the Victorians who have already provided a successful model of how to make the thoroughbred industry a winner.

Annette Oliver