ARB Chairman

The Board re-elected Mr Bob Bentley unopposed as its Chairman for a further two year term.

EADRA

The Board welcomed the report of the Senate Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee which was published last Friday.

The Emergency Animal Disease Response Agreement (EADRA) is an agreement between Animal Health Australia, the Australian Government, all State and Territory governments and (currently) ten livestock industry signatories (or ’ Parties’) on how to manage the cost and responsibility for an emergency response to an animal disease outbreak.

The Australian Racing Board, having been involved in all of the discussions that have taken place over the past decade about the horse industry becoming a party to the EADRA, has given its support to a levy proposal that has been developed this year under the supervision of Animal Health Australia. Shortly stated, joining EADRA is very important to safeguarding the racing industry’s interests in the event that there is a future outbreak of an emergency animal disease, and the current levy proposal is the best opportunity to achieve this that has arisen in all the time that EADRA has existed.

It is essential to note that the scheme of the EADRA is that the Australian Government underwrites the immediate costs of a response and the industry is able to pay back its share over time and in small increments. The horse response levy mechanisms which have been selected under the current levy proposal are a small levy on manufactured horse feed and wormers for a limited period AFTER a disease response has concluded.

The response levy has no effect before a disease event – except that it provides assurance through the EADRA that the Australian governments will coordinate a response if the need arises.

National Medical Standards

The Board endorsed a set of national Medical Standards for fitness to ride for jockeys which have been developed by the ARB’s National Medical Officer, Dr Caron Jander.

Black Type

The Board considered a recommendation from the Australian Pattern Committee that prizemoney benchmarks be applied to black type races as follows:

Group Current Levels 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13

Group 1 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $500,000

Group 2 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $250,000

Group 3 $100,000 $115,00 $130,000 $150,00

Listed $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000

The Board confirmed its agreement to the 2010/11 increase. The Board did not adopt the increases proposed for 2011/12 & 2012/13.

New Zealand Apprentice Allowances

With regards to calculating allowances for apprentice jockeys on races held outside Australia, AR92 (3) states:

Winning rides in flat races held outside Australia shall be regarded for the purposes of this Rule as winning rides in Australian Metropolitan Area. [sub-rule added 30/06/03].

This issue has previously been raised by the Board of New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and has been discussed at a Chairmen of Stewards Conference.

The application of AR92(13) means that regardless of the type of meeting, type of race or prize money won, any win in New Zealand or another international jurisdiction is classified as an Australian Metropolitan Win. This is in contrast to the application to Australian races under AR92 which attributes wins by an apprentice jockey in Australian races to either Metropolitan, Provincial(Country) or Other.

The Board has now agreed to classify races at New Zealand Premier meetings as Metropolitan and all other races as Provincial.

End Media Release.

For further inquires:

Mr Andrew Harding

Chief Executive

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