On 1^st July the Australian Federal Government announced Tax Cuts for all Australian wage earners. So in effect some thirteen million Australians will take home some extra money in their pay packets from hereon.

However the governing Body of Harness Racing in Australia continues to slug many Australian Breeders with their immoral and unjustified Stallion Tax or Levy as they define it.

Harness Racing Australia recently [14^th June] announced they had Invoiced Studs for some $920,944 for foals born in the 2023 season which were sired by Stallions that were subject to their Tax. Of course that sum of money has then been passed onto individual broodmare owners.

The immoral part of this Tax is that it is being collected, not for the betterment of the whole Industry, but to assist funding a $2 million Slots Race that only ten wealthy individuals or entities can enter by shelling out $100,000 for a Slot.

So in effect the broodmare owners of Australia have become the largest sponsors of a race in Australia [and probably anywhere in the world] and in return have not received one single mention of thanks or acknowledgement for their donation!

In fact it has almost destroyed the breeding Industry in Australia.

Just to recap how such an extraordinary and immoral Tax was implemented – Harness Racing Australia proposed such a Tax during 2021 which was met with an outcry from all sectors of the breeding industry.

Then the HRA Chairman, Mr Graeme Campbell , went on record saying that ‘consultative meetings’ would be conducted in ALL states of Australia for further discussion by breeders.

No such meetings were ever advertised or conducted.

The various State Representatives on the HRA Executive were advised by their state breeding bodies that no such Tax should be implemented – that advice was totally ignored.

There is not any objection to the idea of Slots Races, although most participants in Australia can either take or leave them.

Adam Hamilton seems to be the only person in the land who is so excited by them and especially the Eureka.

However Slots Races should only be funded by those owners who wish to put up a substantial amount of money for their own little bit of fun, plus a contribution from the hosting club. This in fact is how Slots Races are conducted around the world with the exception of the Eureka.

Somehow greed intervened in the concept for the Eureka and so just to satisfy the egos of its organisers, the Eureka had to become the richest harness race in the world. So the breeders of Australia in a declining Breeding Industry became the lambs for the slaughter.

If this is not the worst decision made by the Executive of HRA in the history of Harness Racing in Australia then please let us know what has beaten it.

The initial Eureka race has been run and won – by a filly when the race was being touted as a Stallion making race.

Sure there was a decent crowd in attendance that evening at Menangle and any crowd at a harness racing meeting these days is a refreshing sight.

But has there been any bright lights descending on the Industry since that September race meeting last year as a consequence?

The number of mares bred in Australia in 2023/4 declined by over 10% from the previous season. The clearance rates from the various Yearling Sales conducted around Australia in early 2024 were the worst for a number of years, so certainly the Eureka didn’t stimulate any growth in ownership.

Wagering on harness racing in Australia is on the decline as well.

So Mr Kelly and Mr Campbell, who hold the reins over harness racing in Australia, you have some serious questions and issues to find some answers to.

What Is Communism? Definition and Example — **Harness Racing Australia – Almost Communism**

The Eureka and its half-million dollar advertising budget didn’t silence its ‘critics’, Harness Racing Australia did that 14 months ago with a press release to the industry on the 16^th of June last year, where it states:

“Registration (of a stallion) may be suspended or cancelled if the applicant or other persons connected with the horse engage in conduct that is detrimental or damaging to the industry or disparaging of HRA, its members, executive and staff.”

Stallion owners and anybody connected to them have been effectively muzzled. The above statement rendering them unable to publicly comment on concerns about the legality or legitimacy of the tax for fear of reprisal with huge ramifications.

Is this lawful? Probably not. But you get the feeling that powerbrokers are relying on anybody wanting to test the legalities of the levy/tax and how it is imposed and delivered, not having the financial resources to do so. Litigation costs and loss of potential revenue sources could be huge for playing with the proverbial fire.

Breeders and passionate Industry people are terrified to speak out as a result of this unlawful threat!

Eureka uniting Australian harness racing? Get your hand off it!

The Eureka – is history repeating itself?

The Billionaire behind Australia’s Stallion Tax

Unwarranted ‘Stallion Tax’ has breeders lost for answers

Harness Racing Australia proposed tax “a joke” – Breeders ignored!

No Means No to taxing the breeding industry

Taxing stallions to fund a Slot race? Where’s the connection!

Stallion Tax rumours quashed

Another stallion TAX victim

Stallion TAX casualty

Andrew Kelly, HRA – stop TAXING us to death